


Trouble Lurking

by TheChichiSlaughterHouse



Series: 30_lemons (modified) [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Brook ships ZoSan, Coming Out, Community: 30_lemons, Crossdressing, Developing Relationship, First Time, Learning Self-Acceptance, Lemon, M/M, Misunderstandings, PWP Turned Story, Self-Indulgent, Smut, Yaoi, okama Sanji, what if Oda actually went somewhere with that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-02-16 03:13:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18682987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheChichiSlaughterHouse/pseuds/TheChichiSlaughterHouse
Summary: Sanji's time on Momoiro Island has affected him more than he lets on. He has tendencies he can't resist when he thinks he's by himself on the ship. Zoro finds out and immediately has sex with him, no questions asked. Of course with a beginning like that, things are bound to go wrong... ZoroxSanji.





	1. Trouble Lurking [PWP]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble Lurking
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, crossdressing, sex, PWP.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own One Piece, and I never will.
> 
> Rating: NC-17/M
> 
> Self-indulgent crossdressing porn because why the fuck not. I’m still mad that Oda didn’t take this further and left it as a joke. Oh well, that’s what fanfiction is for, right? For [30_lemons](https://archiveofourown.org/series/786075) prompt 7: The Wardrobe, or, "I Feel Pretty!" and 25: Trouble Lurking for the [100 themes challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/series/786081).
> 
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slaughterchichi) | [Tumblr](http://slaughterchichi.tumblr.com) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/slaughterchichi) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slaughterchichi)

Sanji had a secret.

Since his time on Momoiro Island, things had been different for him. He hated what had happened there – how could he tell anyone he’d been put in a dress? – but it had definitely affected him long-term. When out shopping for ingredients his gaze would wander to clothing shops and he would find himself staring at dresses in windows for far longer than he wanted to admit. He didn’t know what it was, but something about them was now enticing to him and though he fought it down often he had the urge to put one on.

Alright, it was a bit more than just putting one on. Not only did he want to wear them but he sort-of longed to tend to his make up as well. Not to the degree it had gotten on that godforsaken place, but still.

To be frank, the feelings had been driving him nuts with shame and disappointment in himself but he couldn’t keep it up any longer.

At their last stop he’d given in and bought a dress from a market, mumbling excuses of it being for his girlfriend. The light blue garment had distracted him multiple times as he’d passed by and he’d stuffed it in the bottom of a grocery bag to keep it hidden from the others before hiding it in one of the locked cupboards of the gallery. Though he’d thought just buying it would calm him, every time he passed the cupboard it was as if he could hear it in there, begging him to put it on.

But now that everyone else had disembarked to go play on the new island, he knew it was just him and the dress here. No one to get in the way.

With shaky hands, Sanji unlocked the cupboard and lifted the dress from the shelf.

For a few moments, he just looked at it, taking in the lace over the collar and around the waist as his heart pounded in his chest. He was really going to do this, huh?

A shaky sigh escaped his throat as he turned it around and lifted it above his head, slipping his arms through the holes and hoping gravity would do the rest of the work for him. Alas, it bunched up around his ribcage, a little tighter than he had expected. Reaching his trembling hands down, he tugged it until the lace around the middle was on his waist where it belonged and shivered as he felt the hem of its skirt kissing his thighs.

It was such a bizarre feeling yet it felt so natural, like he was supposed to be wearing it. As if this dress had been made exactly for him.

The thought caused Sanji to blush and he turned towards the kitchen table, eyeing the small mirror and make up he’d left on it. Before long he was walking over to it, taking a seat and looking at himself in the glass. The reflection of his flushed eager face just made him go redder. He wanted to feel more angry and frustrated with himself but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was okay. No one was going to see him and he would be able to be back to his usual self long before anyone returned.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Sanji picked up the eyeshadow and got to work applying it to his eyelid. He blended it a little with his fingertip and shivered at the way the dark colour looked on his fair skin. It was stupid, really. How this was making him feel. He grasped the tube of lipstick awkwardly between his fingers and twisted the end to stare at the reddish-pink that seemed to stare right back at him. He’d only need one layer. One thin layer over his lips, unlike the copious amounts that he’d been subjected to last time. It wouldn’t be ridiculous and even if it was he could just wipe it away like it had never been there.

He brought the tube to his lips and resisted the urge to close his eyes as he pressed it to his bottom lip, eyes focusing on the mirror as he swept it across slowly.

So involved in his trance, he didn’t notice as the door to his right began to open and the swordsman walked in. Zoro froze in his tracks at the sight before him, a smirk lining his own lips as he drank the scene in.

“Well, I’ll be.”

Sanji froze on the spot at the sound of Zoro’s voice, his head shakily turning to stare at him as he began trembling all over, lipstick dragging across his cheek from shock. All of a sudden, he forgot how to breathe and his lips moved soundlessly, his ability to speak appearing to have fucked off in his surprise. Zoro walked over to him, a hand against the table as he leaned right up to Sanji’s face.

“Hey, hey, you’ve made a mess.” Zoro’s other hand reached up to smudge the lipstick at the side of Sanji’s mouth, his eyes sparkling. “You not gonna fix this, hm?”

Pulling sharply away from the touch, Sanji caught sight of himself in the mirror and went even redder as he saw the smudge, reaching his own hand up to rub at his mouth aggressively. Zoro grabbed his wrist to stop him and grabbed one of the makeup wipes from beside them, wiping the lipstick away himself.

“Wh-what are you doing here, marimo-head?!” Sanji finally found his voice and almost yelled at the strangely soft touch as he jerked backwards, turning his face down to his lap. Oh shit, this was bad. The last person he’d possibly wanted to find him was Zoro, and now he was going to have to deal with whatever consequences arose. The makeup wipe was dropped to the floor, in his line of sight. Zoro’s hand grabbed at his chin and forced him to look up, their eyes locking.

“Come on, finish the job.” Zoro’s tone was firm, though he avoided Sanji’s question. “Put it on properly.” Overwhelmed, the cook just stared at him, unable to break the gaze. Reaching down Zoro grasped Sanji’s hand, lifting both it and the tube between them, the swordsman’s lips curling into another smirk. “What? You want me to do it for you?”

“No!” Sanji pulled his hand free of Zoro’s grip, images of the obscene amounts of lipstick the okamas wore rushing through his head. He had no faith in Zoro’s competence and couldn’t help but feel like he was just being teased to begin with. Still, something inside him was screaming at him to do as he was told, as if there was going to be some sort of reward if he did. All Sanji could think about was Zoro making fun of him and telling the others, exposing his secrets and making his life hell. He hesitated as he looked back at the lipstick in his hand.

“I want to see it.” Something in Zoro’s voice made Sanji’s hands tremble and his body grew hot.

“…Fine.” Swallowing to calm his nerves, Sanji lifted it back to his mouth again, gasping as Zoro’s hand grasped the side of his face gently. His eyes darted to Zoro’s face, noting Zoro’s intense stare aimed at his lips. Once more, he dragged the substance across his bottom lip, pulling it away when he’d covered it so he could rub his lips together. When he stopped, the swordsman licked his own lips a little.

"That’s better,” Zoro murmured, his thumb rubbing just under Sanji’s bottom lip and pulling down so they parted. “Looks good on you, cook.”

“…What now?” Sanji averted his gaze though he knew Zoro was still staring, his whole body tense with anticipation. He didn’t know what it was excited for, or rather, he didn’t believe it was going to happen. Teasing him was one thing, but surely Zoro wasn’t going to…?

“You're a woman now, right?” There was no question to Zoro's tone as he rubbed his thumb over Sanji's cheek, just under his eye. “I’m gonna do what I always do when a hot woman has dolled herself up for me.” Sanji flushed redder at the somewhat humiliating half-compliment half-tease. Zoro leaned in closer, lips right up against Sanji’s ear. “Fuck the life out of her.”

Sanji shook his head violently and pushed at Zoro’s shoulders, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“I didn’t do it fo—” Before he could even finish his sentence Zoro crushed their lips together to silence him, wrapping his arms around Sanji’s waist and hoisting him off the chair to sit on the table instead. Sanji gripped at his shoulders in surprise as one of Zoro’s hands moved up and fisted in the hair on the back of his head, Zoro’s tongue pushing insistently into his mouth. The grip was almost tight enough to hurt but he didn’t resist, just allowing himself to get kissed.

When the swordsman eventually pulled back from his lips, they were both panting. Zoro let go of his hair and slid a finger down Sanji’s neck towards his crotch. Sanji flinched at the touch and opened his mouth, silenced by the index finger from Zoro’s other hand hard against his chin.

“Shut up and let me fuck you.” Zoro slid to his knees and grabbed Sanji’s knees with his palms, spreading his legs widely. As Sanji looked down at him, he noticed the obvious bulge of his own erection tenting in the dress. Zoro slid his hands further up his thighs, thumbs skimming up his inner thighs as Zoro’s face leaned closer to his crotch. “Okay, princess?”

Sanji could see traces of his lipstick on Zoro’s mouth. He bowed his head to try and hide his embarrassment at the pet name.

“…Do what you want.”

Without hesitation, Zoro slipped his hand under the skirt and then looked up at his face with a wide grin.

“No underwear, huh?” Zoro sounded as pleased as he did surprised. “That’s so naughty.” His hand grasped Sanji’s cock, giving it a long languid stroke. “You must have wanted to be found.” Sanji groaned at the touch despite himself and thrust his hips up, wanting more.

“N-No, I didn’t-” He could hear the whining in his voice even as he tried to hide it, knowing he sounded weird. As he spoke, Zoro’s grip on him tightened and started stroking him roughly, Sanji’s hands gripping onto the edge of the table to keep his balance. Zoro licked his tongue up from his knee and blew over the wet skin, causing him to let out another weird sound. God, this was embarrassing.

Sanji’s eyes squeezed shut tight as he felt Zoro’s mouth pressing higher and higher against his thigh, occasionally feeling the sharp point of a tooth that just made him more excited. An arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him right to the edge of the table as Zoro let go of his cock, lifting his skirt up and then the lips that had been teasing his leg were wrapped around him, sucking hard. Sanji moaned and grasped a hand into Zoro’s short hair, jerking his hips against his head desperately. There was no complaint from the swordsman, who just kept sucking like he did this every day, bobbing his head up and down with ease. Sanji’s legs trembled on either side of Zoro’s head as he drew closer to orgasm, unable to keep his voice down.

Just as he was about to cum, Zoro pulled away from him and he sobbed at the loss of the heat on his cock, thrusting his hips up impatiently. He heard Zoro laugh breathlessly and the swordsman tugged his hips closer, biting into his thigh gently. Opening his eyes, Sanji couldn’t help a whimper at the sight, his knuckles white from grabbing the table so hard. Zoro stared up at him.

“Sorry, sorry.” There was no remorse in his voice at all. Zoro tilted Sanji’s hips to bare his ass and used his thumbs to spread him open. “I just figured this place was getting lonely.” Before Sanji could really comprehend what he was saying, he felt Zoro’s tongue again, though this time it was teasing wetly at his entrance. Oh, fuck. All he could do was let out a whine as Zoro began to thrust his tongue against it, making his whole body shudder. Zoro’s thumbs dug into his skin harshly as he started licking more firmly, Sanji’s toes curling as he leaned back against the table instead, covering his mouth with one of his hands.

Though he still missed that talented mouth on his erection, he couldn’t help but feel that this was better. The more Zoro licked, the more heat flooded his body and the more he became desperate, lifting his legs up a little to give the swordsman more access to him. Something about this just felt so right that he couldn’t help but begin to want something else, though he wasn’t sure how to ask.

Soon enough, Zoro stuck his tongue deep into him and he sobbed into his own hand. He wanted to finish so badly that he reached down to his skirt, grabbing himself through the fabric and pumping his hand just how he liked it.

Zoro took that moment to pull back and grabbed Sanji’s wrist tightly.

“Oi, stop it. Not yet.” The look in his eyes was fierce, causing Sanji to let go immediately. Zoro’s expression softened as he pushed a finger into him instead. “Stop covering your mouth and let me hear you.” Caught off-guard, Sanji let out a loud moan, bucking his hips down onto Zoro’s finger despite himself. He bit down on his lip to try and stop the sound but Zoro just leaned up, his unoccupied hand grasping Sanji’s chin. “You’ll mess up your lipstick.”

Shakily, he let go of his bottom lip and pushed back against Zoro’s hand again, closing his eyes. Zoro kissed at his cheek and murmured something against his skin as he thrust his hand up harder, then pulled his finger back to add another. It was a little painful but Sanji didn’t care, just squeezing on his fingers every time they pushed in and trying to steady his breathing, ignoring all the sounds he was making as much as he could. He had no idea why he was being so obedient but he wanted this so much that he was willing to do anything he was told at this point. 

Sanji whined as Zoro scissored his fingers inside him roughly, trying to stretch him as quickly as possible. His entire body was throbbing from his need to climax, frustrated that he’d gotten so close twice but not been allowed to tip over the edge. He turned his head to the side and spied his face cream, flopping his arm up to grab it. Zoro paused as he moved then growled low in his throat as Sanji passed it over to him, averting his gaze.

Without saying a word, Zoro took it from his hand and slipped his fingers out to squeeze a copious amount of it onto the palm of his hand. Sanji caught the action from the corner of his eye and groaned as he saw Zoro grab his own cock, slickening it up for what was to come next. Unable to help himself, Sanji wriggled his hips on the table.

“Please.”

Zoro looked at him, a smirk covering his lips.

“When I’m ready, I will.” The swordsman leaned in closer, his dry hand cupping Sanji’s chin. “So impatient.” Pressing their lips together again, Zoro just kept stroking himself, humming lightly against Sanji’s mouth. The cook groaned into the kiss, his own hands reaching to grab at Zoro’s head and pull him in closer. As he wrapped his legs lightly around Zoro’s hips, the swordsman pulled back and grabbed his thighs hard, pulling them away. It looked like he was at the end of his tether already, which just made Sanji throb more insistently. Zoro stepped back a bit, slapping a hand against Sanji’s hip. “I want you from behind. Turn over.”

Shaking, Sanji swallowed the lump in his throat and rolled over, baring his ass to Zoro eagerly. One of the swordsman’s hands grabbed his hip as he felt Zoro press against him properly. When Zoro thrust his hips forward and began burying himself inside Sanji, the pair both groaned at the touch and shuddered against each other. The hand gripping his hip was hot but not as hot as the one that moved to press on his spine, shoving him harder into the table. He could feel Zoro’s nails digging into his skin and hissed at the pain, wriggling back against him.

Clearly agitated by the movement, Zoro thrust forward with all he had and sank so deep inside Sanji that he could feel every inch of their skin pressed together. The cook squeezed tightly on his length, already biting his own lip again to keep his voice down, body shaking as he adjusted to the feeling. His cock ached as it pushed into the edge of the table but it was nothing in comparison to the aching inside him. He desperately wanted Zoro to move even as he felt him pressing against his prostate, not sure how long he’d last but not caring about waiting a single second longer.

“Fuck me, fuck me!” Sanji let go of his lip as he whined, losing any scrap of reservation he had left. Words spilled from his mouth that he couldn’t hear, too focused on the hardness inside him to pay attention to anything he was saying, hungry for this to continue. Zoro groaned behind him and started thrusting gently into him as if to test if it was possible, which just caused Sanji to whimper and shove his hips back the little he could. He closed his eyes as he felt the heat in his face rising. “More. Faster, please!”

The only warning he got before Zoro started slamming his hips was a growl and the fingers digging into his flesh pressed impossibly harder, somehow holding him still and yanking him backwards at the same time. The one on his back was still slippery from the makeshift lube, sliding down his back and scratching between his shoulder blades before relocating itself to his shoulder by his neck to pull him down more forcefully.

The pain of being shoved into the table and the hands practically crushing into his skin just made the pleasure all that stronger, heat pooling familiarly into his gut as Sanji grabbed forwards on the table, knocking over his mirror. It clattered noisily across the table as it fell right in front of him, reflecting both of them where he could see it. Opening his eyes again, Sanji looked into it.

The sight of his own face in the mirror caused Sanji to lose his breath, taking in the thoroughly smudged lipstick around his mouth and the pleasure-filled eye that stared back at him. With a cry, he couldn’t stop himself from climaxing at the image, tightening down on Zoro as his hips bucked frantically. Zoro hissed through his teeth and grabbed Sanji’s hips to still him, slowly pulling his own cock out of him before flipping him over and shoving back inside in one motion. Sanji groaned as Zoro’s thrusts sped up to the point of pain, looking up at him dazedly. It still felt so good that he didn’t object, tiredly pushing his hips back to meet each of Zoro’s thrusts.

“I’m close.” Zoro was panting heavily now, his eyes not moving from Sanji’s face as he grit his teeth. The swordsman suddenly seemed nervous as well as desperate as he choked out his next sentence. “I wanna…cum on your face.”

“Okay…”

As soon as he’d finished speaking, Zoro pulled out from him and grabbed onto his waist, dragging him off the table and onto his knees on the floor. Sanji hissed as his knees smacked into the wood and Zoro grabbed the back of his head, fisting his hand in his hair as he yanked him to look upwards. Zoro’s cock was right in front of his face, the swordsman violently slamming his hand up and down on it as he stared at him, so close to orgasm Sanji could see it throbbing in his hand. Closing his eyes dutifully, Sanji parted his lips and heard Zoro curse in appreciation as wetness splashed over his cheeks, chin and into his mouth. 

He stayed still for a few moments, just waiting until he was sure Zoro had stopped ejaculating before he opened his eyes and looked up at the flushed man above him. He could taste Zoro’s orgasm on his tongue and stuck it out to show him, satisfied when Zoro just went even redder. He drew it back into his mouth and swallowed as the grip in his hair loosened and Zoro grabbed something from the table.

Makeup wipe in hand Zoro leaned down to wipe off the mess, hesitating before rubbing over his lips to remove the lipstick along with it. He was a little shaken from the display but kept his movements gentle, a sharp change from the yanking mere moments earlier. As he pulled it back, Sanji could see the red through the thin material, half-smiling to himself as Zoro grabbed another.

“Close your eyes.”

Doing as he was told, Sanji sighed softly as the cold wet material rubbed over his eyelid, taking the eyeshadow along with it. His knees were aching in protest and his ass was throbbing but he felt at ease with Zoro’s hands on him.

“Feels nice.” Sanji murmured, turning his face into the swordsman’s palm a little bit. Zoro responded by squeezing his cheek and moving to kiss him again. Like all his other touches, it was soft.

“Do this again for me sometime.” Zoro demanded against his mouth, his eyes practically staring holes in Sanji’s face. “I’ll make it feel even better.”

Maybe Zoro finding out wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Commissioned fanart for this fic: [by DEVLREX on Twitter](https://twitter.com/DEVLREX/status/1129120311725645824).


	2. Trouble Overwhelming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elated by his prior discovery, Zoro tries to take their 'relationship' further a few steps quicker than perhaps might be wise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble Overwhelming
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, crossdressing, sex, ~~PWP~~ (shit, there’s a plot now), fluff, AO3 editing abuse (you’ll see), dirty talk (I apologise in advance...), references to Whole Cake Island, arguments and some other stuff I don’t wanna tell you~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own One Piece, and I never will.
> 
> Chapter rating: NC-17
> 
> Thanks to a few people asking, here’s a continuation. I mostly blame YamiHikari01. This part is from Zoro’s POV, since we got Sanji’s last time. I think there’ll be maybe 4 parts in total, depending on whether my hands and brain co-operate with what my plans are. I can see this continuing to spiral out of my grasp though…
> 
> While the original oneshot can pretty much take place any time after the timeskip, this part definitely takes place after Whole Cake Island. …which if you go by what’s happening in the manga means it also takes place after Wano. Eh, I’m not thinking through an entire timeline for this, so just…do as I’m doing and place it wherever you want?
> 
> Posted slightly earlier than normal because it's Yami's birthday! Happy birthday, beautiful! ~~Suffer for me <3~~
> 
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slaughterchichi) | [Tumblr](http://slaughterchichi.tumblr.com) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/slaughterchichi) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slaughterchichi)

“From the distance we are right now, we should reach that island this afternoon,” Nami explained, looking excited as she usually did when a new island was in sight. Zoro supposed it was because she’d get the chance to draw more of that world map she dreamt of. “We should have plenty of time to pick up supplies and rest while the Log Pose recalibrates. I figure it shouldn’t take more than a few days, though I’ll have to ask someone when we get there.”

The entire crew seemed excited at the prospect, immediately talking amongst themselves and speculating what they would find there. Zoro didn’t pay attention to any of it, his eyes lingering on the kitchen where Sanji was.

They’d been sailing from the last island for over a week now and whilst the Sunny was a huge ship, it didn’t stop everyone from feeling a bit cooped up. Sometimes it was nice to go somewhere with more things to do, just for a change of scenery. But Zoro wasn’t particularly excited about the island; he was interested in the opportunities it laid out for him.

Ever since he’d found Sanji wearing makeup and a dress in the galley a while back, his thoughts had been preoccupied with getting to see more of it. Feel more of him. New islands meant the ship would be quiet for hours at a time, with fewer members on board. That meant there would be chances for them to engage in their fling without worries.

After the first time, he’d noticed Sanji being more standoffish than usual, which had concerned him. He’d tried to bring it up privately but had ended up with a foot in his face and the cook yelling at him angrily. Yet the next time it was just the two of them, Sanji had surprised him by greeting in the full getup again. Zoro had opted not to think too much of it and had made good on his prior promise, this time in the semi-privacy of the men’s quarters.

Since then, it had become somewhat of a ritual for the pair; meeting in secret as soon as they were alone to indulge in whatever it was that they had going on. Between trysts Sanji was distant from him all over again but Zoro didn’t particularly mind. As far as he was concerned, just getting to lay his hands on the cook every now and then was pretty damn good, though he’d appreciate it a little more frequently.

And with a new island on the horizon, he felt like he was going to see this soft version of Sanji all over again. There hadn’t been time at the last island; they’d been too busy grabbing what they could while being chased by marines and had been lucky that the Log Pose had adjusted in just a few hours.

It had now been a few weeks since he’d had Sanji to himself. He could barely wait.

As the others left the galley, Zoro stuck around, taking his time with the drink in his hand. Nami looked at him quizzically on her way past but then half-shrugged to herself not even a second later. She’d looked like she’d wanted to ask him something but Zoro was glad she’d decided against it.

When the door shut behind her, Zoro finished his glass and walked towards the kitchen where Sanji was already at work prepping something else. The dishes from everyone’s meal were piled up by the sink, ignored for now. He knew Sanji hated doing the washing up and he didn’t blame him – anyone would recoil from the amount of plates that Luffy went through, let alone the ones from the rest of the crew.

Zoro placed his empty cup onto the countertop, eyeing Sanji’s back. He knew that the cook was aware he was still here, yet Sanji had not told him to leave nor even acknowledged his presence. He wondered briefly if Sanji was just engrossed in what he was doing. Or perhaps he was waiting for Zoro to make the first move. Calmly, he leaned forward and crossed his arms as he rested them on the counter.

“…I’ll book a hotel tonight.”

“Oh, really?” Sanji feigned disinterest, not even turning around to look at him. Even his tone of voice was flat, like Zoro had announced he was going to train instead.

Zoro hesitated. Was the cook not catching his drift or what? Did he need to communicate it more clearly?

The blush that slowly crept down Sanji’s neck told him otherwise. Zoro resisted the urge to grin, but couldn’t stop himself from teasing him.

“Yeah, gonna spend my night with a hot slut.” Putting all his emphasis on the last two words, the swordsman licked his lips as his gaze trailed to Sanji’s ass. He wanted to reach out and grab a handful but knew better when the cook was like this. Sanji only really let him lay his hands on him when he was dressed up and while that was frustrating in its own way he respected the decision. He didn’t have to understand it, just go along with it.

“Do whatever you want!” Sanji flushed redder at his words and slammed the knife in his hand hard down onto the chopping board in front of him. Perhaps Zoro had teased him a bit too much…

Frowning for a moment, Zoro sighed softly. Had Sanji misunderstood him or was he hiding his embarrassment?

Sanji didn’t look at him even as he turned around, grabbing something from the counter Zoro was leaning on. Zoro studied his face the little he could. Instead of being angry or jealous, the cook just looked flustered. He liked that.

“Guess I’ll see her later then.” Amused, Zoro turned away and walked out of the galley, not sticking around to see Sanji’s reaction this time.

If anyone else had been in the room, they wouldn’t have been able to understand Zoro’s response.

\--

Later that night, after they’d docked the ship and gotten supplies the entire crew had been itching to go off into the nearby town and play. Spirits were high for every single one of them; Nami being unusually generous and giving out some spending money. She’d even given some to Zoro, though reminded him of the debt he still owed her as she’d pushed it into his hand. At any other time, Zoro would have scowled and yelled at her but his thoughts had been full of his plans for the evening and he’d just nodded instead.

His eye had caught Sanji’s shortly after, watching as his cheeks had tinted slightly red and then the cook had shuffled off somewhere. Zoro had then immediately disembarked to find a suitable hotel; calling Sanji from a denden mushi to tell him the details when he’d gotten a room.

Now they were here; the swordsman licking his lips as Sanji exited the bathroom. He’d seen this dress a few times now, but it never failed to get him going. Probably because he’d started associating it with the feeling of Sanji’s skin.

Not one to waste time, Zoro pulled Sanji up against him as soon as he was within range; still somewhat marvelling at the way a bit of a makeup and a clothing change could make this much of a difference. Not only in the way Sanji looked but in the way he acted as well. He couldn’t get enough of it.

“When you look like this, I wanna show you off.” Zoro felt his confidence overflowing, it overriding the sensible part of his brain. The next words left his mouth before he even thought them through. “Show everyone you’re mine.”

Sanji tensed in his arms. Zoro knew he was pushing his comfort zone but he couldn’t help himself. Whether it was the part about being his or the part about being like this in public that made Sanji freeze, he didn’t know. His hands slid down Sanji’s back to cup at his butt through the dress, pulling their hips together even more.

“Shut up; I’m not yours.” Sanji muttered as he turned his face to the side, his hands pushing against Zoro’s chest firmly as he leaned back away from him. If he’d really wanted him to let go, Zoro would have had a foot in the dick by now. Zoro knew that from experience.

He wanted to refute Sanji’s statement but decided to drop it, instead focusing on what Sanji hadn’t objected to. He buried his face against Sanji’s neck.

“Come out with me tonight.” Zoro insisted, pressing a kiss to the bared skin. “It’ll be fun.”

Sanji melted against him but Zoro could still feel his hesitation.

“…But, my hair…” Sanji’s voice was soft as he tilted his head down, brushing his chin against Zoro’s forehead so he could feel the rub of his beard. A leg lifted and slid against Zoro’s side as if to remind him of that too, Sanji sighing into Zoro’s hair. “Besides… didn’t you have something else in mind?”

Zoro’s cheeks flushed slightly at the implication of the cook’s words. It was true; he had other plans for them tonight but since he’d gotten the idea in his head, he really wanted to take Sanji out. He’d seen a few bars while he was looking for a good hotel – no, he hadn’t been lost, don’t be ridiculous – and he was sure there would be at least one where people wouldn’t care about this. He didn’t want to give in this easily, either.

He pulled back from Sanji’s neck to look him in the eye; weighing up whether pushing the issue was going to be a good idea or not. He could tell from the look on his lover’s face that Sanji was more nervous than offended and it was the evidence all he needed to keep going.

Slipping a hand down into his haramaki, Zoro pulled out a pair of tights and a razor, not tearing his gaze away from Sanji’s face. The blush that bloomed when Sanji saw the items made him feel a bit more confident again as he attempted to push them into one of Sanji’s hands.

“I’ve already thought it through,” Zoro leaned up and kissed at Sanji’s chin as he spoke. “I won’t force you, but…” He let his sentence trail off there, not wanting to make it harder on the cook. Pressing their lips together lightly, he smiled against Sanji’s mouth.

After a few long seconds, Sanji curled his fingers around the tights and huffed softly as he pulled back from Zoro’s face. His gaze flicked to the razor, Zoro licking his own lips as he saw Sanji swallow hard.

He knew in the back of his mind that he was asking for a lot here, especially since he’d waited until Sanji had gotten ready before bringing it up. If he really didn’t want to, Zoro was prepared to drop it. The idea was just so appealing to him that he’d been unable to help himself from getting things ready, just on the off-chance that Sanji would say yes.

Maybe implying Sanji should shave his beard was pushing it; he’d never seen Sanji with a bare face after all. He wondered for a moment if the other man was capable of growing it back quickly or not – for as long as he’d known him, the beards had always been on the small side. If Sanji found growing facial hair to be a struggle then what he was asking was worse than he’d initially thought.

“I want something to drink.” Sanji mumbled, his voice a little shaky as he finally took the razor from Zoro’s grip. “You don’t happen to have any sake buried in there too, do you?”

Grinning, Zoro shook his head. He didn’t have booze stashed around his waist but he had thought to buy some on his way to check-in earlier. He let go of Sanji and turned towards the king-size bed, leaning down and pulling a large bottle of premium sake out from underneath it. He pulled the stopper out with his teeth and took a swig of the liquid, his eyes watching Sanji intently.

The blond almost pouted at the action, stepping forward and trying to pry the bottle from his grip in impatience. Zoro didn’t let go though, just wrapping his other arm tightly around Sanji’s waist as he kissed him again. Sanji shivered against him and opened his mouth expectantly, rewarded when Zoro did the same and let the alcohol flow into Sanji’s mouth. Sanji swallowed it down eagerly but pushed back from him a moment later, a disgusted look on his face.

“What?” Zoro was a little put out.

“It tastes gross when it’s half-warm.” Sanji scrubbed his forearm over his chin where a little had spilled out, smudging his lipstick across it as well as his face. He stuck his tongue out afterwards in distaste.

Instead of getting annoyed by the action, Zoro just brought the bottle to his own lips again. Something about making Sanji drink it from his mouth was exciting to him, even the discomfort Sanji felt at the heat of the liquid. He wanted to do it again.

Sanji eyed him warily for a moment, his lips turning down at the sides when he realised what Zoro was planning to do. He looked so sulky that Zoro thought it was cute. The smeared makeup didn’t help matters; only reminding Zoro of the first time he’d caught Sanji like this. The memory caused heat to pool in his stomach and he leaned toward Sanji once more.

Sighing annoyedly, the blond closed his eyes and tilted his head back in acceptance.

Zoro wasted no time in repeating his previous action, this time chasing the alcohol with his tongue once Sanji had swallowed it down. Sanji shivered against him and moaned into his mouth, causing Zoro to finally pull back. This in and of itself was interesting, but if he got carried away here he wasn’t going to get to do anything else.

He handed Sanji the bottle this time, licking his own lips in excitement.

“That’s a good girl.”

There was an unreadable expression in Sanji’s eye before the cook lifted the bottle to his lips and started chugging it. Zoro was taken aback at the action; he’d never seen Sanji drink so much or so quickly before. He was both impressed and appalled – he’d have bought a cheaper bottle if he’d known it wasn’t going to be savoured.

When Sanji lowered the bottle, there was less than half of it left. Sanji’s cheeks were flushed now, the cook giving him a sloppy smile as he handed the bottle back in amusement. Zoro took it calmly, hoping his feelings weren’t obvious on his face.

“I’ll be back in a bit.” Sanji leaned closer and pressed a kiss to Zoro’s cheek, waving the hand still clutching the razor meaningfully. There was a bright smile on his face that rendered Zoro somewhat speechless. As he stepped into the bathroom, Zoro sat back onto the bed and eyed the bottle quietly.

Maybe it wasn’t a waste if it made Sanji smile like that.

By the time Sanji exited the bathroom again, Zoro had finished off the bottle. It wasn’t enough to get him buzzed by a long shot but his cheeks were feeling slightly warm now. He’d closed his eyes for a moment as he thought through what the date plan would be – this was a date, right? – but had almost started dozing.

Sanji’s foot slamming on the pillow next to his head jolted him awake, Zoro unsure of how to react for a few moments. The action was aggressive but he couldn’t sense any danger, which was a confusing mix for him. He looked up at Sanji’s face, noting the smooth skin and wide smile before his gaze trailed to the leg an inch from his head.

He swallowed a lump in his throat at the hairless calf, nervously licking his bottom lip to wet it. He hadn’t meant for Sanji to shave his legs too – that’s what the tights had been for, after all – but there was no doubt that it pleased him to see it. Sanji’s skin looked so soft and smooth that he wanted to touch it, his gaze darting back to Sanji’s face again as if asking for permission.

“Go on,” Sanji’s voice was giddy, his eyes impatient. “Touch it.”

Eager to respond to the demand, Zoro slipped a hand up to touch Sanji’s ankle. And damn, it was as smooth as it looked. He murmured in appreciation as he slid his hand higher, stopping at Sanji’s knee as his gaze was drawn up Sanji’s skirt. Usually he didn’t wear underwear when they did things like this but this time he was wearing an extremely small pair of black boxers. Somehow, it was even more erotic than if there’d been nothing underneath at all, the curve of Sanji’s penis in the fabric causing Zoro’s heart to beat hard in his chest.

A few moments later, he realised Sanji was waiting for his opinion.

His eyes darted back to Sanji’s face, fighting down the blush that threatened to invade his own. He gave Sanji’s leg a gentle squeeze, half-sitting up.

“…Feels really nice.”

Sanji practically beamed.

“Right?”

Zoro coughed to try and ease his own embarrassment, moving his hand from the back of Sanji’s knee to stroke up his thigh. He wasn’t sure exactly what else he should say, but he knew that they should go out now if they were going. The soft skin and attitude were driving him a little crazy and he wanted to jump the cook right there and then.

“Shall we go?” He asked, though it was more a statement at this point. Sanji pouted slightly before nodding and lowering his leg, turning away from Zoro to slip his shoes on quietly. The swordsman watched him in silence; Sanji seemed as elegant as usual but something has nagging in the back of his mind and he wasn’t sure what it was. He brushed it off as feeling a little nervous himself and slid off the bed, wrapping an arm around Sanji’s waist as soon as the cook had finished donning his footwear. Sanji looked up at him in gentle surprise which he grinned at as he guided Sanji towards the bedroom door.

Their night was only beginning and though there was a lot he wanted to do, his body was thrumming in excitement at the thought of bringing Sanji back here later.

\--

By the time Zoro had found the bar from earlier, an hour had already passed. Sanji had held onto him without complaint, though he’d noticed the cook guiding him away from certain areas as they’d walked. He’d been unsure of the intent but had opted not to bring it up as he hadn’t wanted to break the comfortable mood between them. Neither of them had really said a word since they’d left the hotel room but the silence wasn’t awkward so he supposed that was alright.

Many people had turned their heads at the sight of them walking together but no one had said a thing; Zoro taking the time to look right back at them to gauge the reactions. Some seemed to recognise they were pirates but most just appeared to be in awe. No doubt at how beautiful Sanji looked right now.

Zoro had felt pride at that.

It didn’t take a genius to know that Sanji was attractive; from top of his head to the very tips of his toes he was gorgeous – Zoro could say so with confidence, since he’d seen all of it at one point or another – but the glances made it even more apparent. Zoro wondered if some of the onlookers had been jealous of him. Too bad.

Truth be told, he’d kind of expected some form of backlash. Not because Sanji was dressed up but because well, they were pirates. This island seemed quite busy and he was a little surprised he’d not seen a single marine this whole time. Surely they had to have a base here or a platoon or something? If they didn’t, it would be weird. Then again, he was genuinely grateful for the lack of distraction. The last thing he wanted to deal with now was a marine attack, after all.

His arm still looped around Sanji’s waist, he guided the cook into the bar. It was decently busy but there were plenty of open seats, the patrons all seeming to be having a good time. There were stools available at the bar and booths open further away as well as a large stage in the back that shone with neon lights. As he contemplated what it was for and where to sit, Sanji’s hand around his own waist tugged at his clothes.

He directed his gaze back to his lover, his breath somewhat taken away at the way the low mood lighting drew his attention to Sanji’s lips. This was an experience in and of itself.

“Where are we sitting?” Sanji was a little quiet, though Zoro couldn’t tell if it was the music of the bar muffling him or Sanji himself not wanting to raise his voice.

Zoro wanted to sit at the bar for the ease of access to the alcohol but also wanted to sit in a booth so they could have a little privacy as well. His emotions were a bit of a jumble; he wanted to show Sanji off but he also wanted to keep him to himself. The contradiction made him feel a bit uneasy.

“We can sit wherever you like.” Leaving the decision to the cook was probably the better idea. At least this way, Sanji could choose whichever he was more comfortable with. He wanted to make this as easy as possible for him, after all.

Sanji sighed beside him and lead him straight to the bar as he pulled away and slid onto one of the stools. Zoro had somewhat expected him to choose a booth but didn’t question it, just sitting on the seat beside him calmly. He wanted to wrap his arm around him again but decided against it, propping his arms on the counter.

“Excuse me,” Sanji lifted his arm to signal the bartender before Zoro had a chance, leaning forward as he ordered them both some drinks. The sudden change from his meek attitude earlier was surprising but Zoro liked it a lot, a smirk coming to his lips as he rested his chin on one of his hands and just looked over at him. Sanji noticed it immediately, mirroring his pose back to him with his legs crossed. “…What?” His tone was flirtatious but there was an underlying nervousness that made Zoro’s heart squeeze.

“Nothing,” He lied in response, eyes darting back to the bartender as their drinks were placed in front of them. “Just happy you came out.”

Sanji’s cheeks flushed for a few seconds but then calmed as Sanji picked up his drink, looking into the liquid as if he were thinking about something. Zoro didn’t push, grabbing his own glass and bringing it to his lips. The reactions were intriguing but he was enjoying them. Normally Sanji was either brash or bashful and it was entertaining to see him bounce between being bold and withdrawn in a matter of moments. He supposed it was just nerves at the situation.

All of a sudden, Sanji lifted the drink to his lips and downed the glass in one go. Zoro’s gaze was drawn to the lipstick clinging to the rim as Sanji put it back down, licking his own lips before following suit and knocking his own drink back without hesitation. In many ways, what he’d wanted to do by going out had already been achieved by the onlookers and he was getting a bit impatient to lay his hands on Sanji once more. With how the cook was acting right now though, it seemed like a bad idea to get touchy-feely straight away. He’d have to wait until Sanji was feeling more relaxed.

This time, Zoro signalled for attention and ordered them a few drinks each. If Sanji was going to drink them all like that, the bartender was going to get annoyed by them sooner or later. Better to prevent the situation before it arose. The drinks arrived quickly, accompanied with a few shots ‘on the house’. Zoro caught the eye of the barkeep and nodded, recognising it as a thank you for planning in advance. As the man turned away to serve the other customers, his gaze went back to his date.

Sanji was looking at him now, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth. Zoro was a little mesmerised by it.

“Drinking contest?” Sanji suggested, gesturing at the drinks with a relaxed arm. It wasn’t what Zoro had had in mind, but a grin came to his lips before he could help it. He couldn’t back down from a challenge like that. It just wasn’t in him.

They started with the shots first, their eyes locked as they threw them back. Competing with Sanji was one of Zoro’s favourite pastimes and from the enthusiasm reflected back at him, he was sure the blond felt the same way.

By the time they were on the normal drinks, Sanji’s whole face was flushed and he was slurring his words a little. Zoro by comparison was just buzzed, grinning from ear to ear. This had been a good idea. It was fun to spend time with Sanji like this; without arguments and not just for sexual gratification. He would have wondered if Sanji had similar thoughts, but Sanji had kicked off a shoe at this point and was suggestively rubbing the back of Zoro’s leg with his toes.

There was still a drink left for each of them but the action had heat growing in Zoro’s gut. Had it been possible, he would have been all over the cook already. He settled for reaching over and pressing his hand to Sanji’s cheek.

“Do you want to—“ He was cut off by the loud sound of the stage and cheers, the announcer drawing his attention at the back of the bar.

“Hey folks, it’s time for karaoke! Who wants to be our first singer tonight?”

“I’ll do it!” Sanji pulled away from his hand and immediately got to his feet, kicking off his other shoe eagerly. Zoro was stunned. Just a few hours before he’d been nervous of even going outside but now Sanji wanted to draw attention to himself on a stage? The change was so drastic that it just caused the arousal in his gut to get stronger. He really wanted to take Sanji back right now, but one song couldn’t hurt. Not now that Sanji was so excited.

As Sanji all but ran to the stage, the patrons cheered. Zoro huffed to himself in slight disappointment at having been interrupted but twisted around in his seat so he could watch. The hand that had been on Sanji’s face grasped his drink again and Zoro brought it to his lips without drinking it as he looked on.

The announcer and the cook had a brief hushed conversation before the mic was handed over, Sanji standing in the middle of the stage with a gracefulness that Zoro thought the alcohol had washed away. Then again, he expected no less. It was a little odd to say but Sanji was a show-off by nature and when there were pretty women around he tended to go a bit overboard.

Zoro frowned at the thought and did a brief visual sweep of the bar. There were a lot of women here. Part of him felt paranoid and jealous that this was a ploy on Sanji’s part to appeal to them or something. At least, until Sanji’s eyes met his from across the room.

“[🎵](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MagA-8XCE48) Take my hand, honey. Welcome to my romantic dinner…”

Zoro knew he should have been paying attention to what Sanji was singing, but he was overwhelmed by the look in Sanji’s eyes. Coupled with the tone of his voice, it was getting him far more fired up than he had thought possible. There was a crowd but somehow with just those glances it felt like a show just for him.

He wanted to hear Sanji moaning in pleasure right now. He didn’t want to wait. Not that he had a choice in the matter.

The whole bar was buzzing when Sanji had finished singing. There was so much attention on the cook that Zoro could feel his stomach twisting itself into knots. They called for an encore but Sanji just laughed into the microphone and handed it back to the announcer. 

“Alright, who’s next?” The host seemed a little put out by Sanji’s refusal, as did everyone else. Zoro, of course, was thrilled.

Even as Sanji was making his way back, he kept getting stopped by the other patrons. Zoro wanted to go over and get in their way but restrained himself to just watching. He knew the cook could handle this alone, but it didn’t stop the jealous feeling in the back of his mind. Sanji kept pausing to hear them out, blushing slightly and rubbing at the back of his head in embarrassment.

Zoro finished the remaining glasses of booze quickly, it tasting sour. He knew he was being ridiculous but he couldn’t help himself. As he lowered the second empty glass from his lips, he spied a man touching Sanji’s shoulder. The glass shattered instantly in his hand, surprising the bartender who had come to clean up. He was about to jump to his feet and rush over when Sanji shrugged off the touch and pointed right over to him. When the man turned his head, Zoro scowled at him.

The colour drained from the guy’s face and he stepped out of Sanji’s way in a heartbeat. There was a wide grin on Sanji’s lips as he finally got back to the bar, noting the broken glass over the counter and still in Zoro’s hand.

“Don’t sulk and break stuff.” He laughed as he uncurled Zoro’s fingers from the sharp remains and tugged on his wrist. Zoro glanced down as she saw Sanji slip his shoes back on, lifting his gaze as his lover began speaking again. “Let’s go now, shall we?”

Eager to get away, Zoro got to his feet and allowed Sanji to lead them back outside.

\--

Keeping his hands off of Sanji until they’d gotten back to the hotel room had tested Zoro’s patience. To the point where they were at the door and Zoro already had pushed Sanji against it, devouring his lips. Sanji had whined into his mouth and was currently pushing at his chest, but Zoro couldn’t hold himself back much more. He didn’t care if they did it in the hallway. He needed to have Sanji now.

His jealousy just fuelled him on, making him want to mark Sanji as his so no one else would ever touch him again. At any other time, he would have winced at this thought but right now he was driven by the urge.

One of his hands grabbed under Sanji’s knee and pulled it around his waist, growling low in his throat as he thrust his hips forward. Sanji groaned and yanked his head back, whacking it against the door. Zoro didn’t know whether to ask if he was alright or just kiss him again, his arousal clouding his thoughts. Sanji took the brief pause to clasp his hand over Zoro’s mouth.

“Wait, wait!!” Sanji was breathless, panting as he looked at Zoro’s face. The swordsman flicked his tongue across Sanji’s palm, watching in amusement as Sanji’s face flushed a dark red. The leg around Zoro’s waist shifted so Sanji could hit his ass with the heel of his foot. “Let’s get inside first!” 

Giving up, Zoro pulled back from Sanji and reached into his haramaki to get the room key. He stuffed it into Sanji’s hands a second later, his gaze lowering as Sanji turned around and started to unlock the door. Not wasting any more time, he wrapped an arm around Sanji’s waist to pull him close as his other hand stroked up one of his thighs. Sanji shivered against him as he yanked the handle of the door down, taking a few shaky steps inside with Zoro practically plastered to his back.

Kicking the door shut with a loud bang, Zoro walked Sanji towards the bed, kissing at the back of his neck. His fingers on Sanji’s thigh met with the small boxers he had on and moved to pull them down without so much as a word. When Sanji couldn’t move forward any further Zoro finally let go, pushing him face-first down onto it a little more roughly than he’d intended. Both of his hands slipped under the hem of the dress to wrench the boxers down his knees, Zoro panting hard as Sanji’s ass was revealed to him.

He wanted to bury his face in it.

He dropped to his knees behind Sanji and grabbed at him, spreading him open. Sanji whined and wriggled against his grip, but it was no use. Zoro was so frustrated and worked up that he wasn’t going to let go so easily.

He shoved his tongue against Sanji’s entrance the second he could, squeezing onto his ass tightly. He’d intended to take things slower than this really, but the mix of emotions running through him was too strong to ignore. Sanji cried out in complaint but the noise just aggravated him further, shifting his grip so he was holding Sanji down to the bed with one of his forearms instead. His other hand reached down for his own cock, tugging it out of his pants and fisting it roughly in time with the motions of his tongue. Just so he could relieve a little of the pressure. So he could get Sanji ready for him.

Zoro’s original intentions for their night together had been lost in this wave of jealousy that coated all of his senses. He’d planned to test the waters for a few things – see if Sanji would suck him, see if he could get him out of his dress whilst still keeping him in the mood – but it was too late for him to do such things now. Though he longed to lay his hands over every inch of Sanji’s skin without a barrier between them he could no longer think straight. It wasn’t like they wouldn’t have time later; if not now then perhaps the next time. There were so many things he wanted to do that they couldn’t have gotten them done in one night anyway.

He groaned into Sanji's skin when the cook started wiggling more in his grasp, pulling back for a moment to breathe. The sight of Sanji’s pristine skin in front of him was driving him crazy. He wanted to mark it. Leave evidence that he’d been here. That Sanji was his. Unable to help himself, he turned his head to the side and bit hard into Sanji’s right cheek. There was a sob and then Sanji reached back to push at his head with a hand. He could feel Sanji’s legs trembling against the bed.

Reluctantly he reduced the force in his jaw, licking over the bite instead. He could see indents for every tooth, a dark purple on Sanji’s fair skin. His hand slowed on his cock as he felt calmer, letting go only to resume the motion on Sanji’s erection instead. The hand on his head stopped pushing, the cook’s fingers curling into his hair.

“F-Fuck!” Sanji sounded desperate as his legs shook even harder. Zoro let himself relish the sound as he caught his breath properly. His eyes stared at the muscle in front of him, watching as it twitched with every movement of his hand. He growled low in his throat and pushed his face back into it; tonguing Sanji even harder than before. He wasn’t going to stop until he made Sanji cum.

As if sensing his intention, Sanji started begging breathlessly for him to stop. That he’d done enough. But Zoro didn’t want to listen.

If anything, the tone of Sanji’s voice was just making him more determined.

Gripping a little tighter, Zoro started jerking his hand more roughly and pushed his tongue into Sanji as deep as he could get it. It was still so tight that he could barely flex the muscle but it didn’t stop him from wriggling it as much as he could inside him. Sanji sobbed as his cock throbbed in Zoro’s palm, one of his feet weakly pushing against Zoro’s chest.

“S-Stop it, I’m gonna—”

Only egged on, Zoro kept up his motions eagerly. He felt his lover tense up only a few strokes later, wetness splashing onto his hand and the edge of the bed as Sanji squeezed his tongue tightly. He drew back after a moment and licked over his bite mark once more, swiping his now-wet fingers over his own cock. The strokes just made the aching worse; the fact that he was touching himself with Sanji’s cum riling him up once again. Something about it felt obscene and overwhelmingly hot, especially since he was going to be shoving it inside him very soon.

He’d marked his skin but now Zoro was ready to mark him inside as well. He was going to fill Sanji up with his dick and then coat his insides with both of their cum.

As if possessed by the thought, Zoro got to his feet and grabbed Sanji’s hips, lifting him easily and tossing him still face down onto the middle of the bed. Zoro climbed over him almost as soon as his body hit the mattress, lowering his head to speak harshly into Sanji's ear.

“Tell me you want me!” Zoro ground his aching cock right up against Sanji’s ass even as his body pressed him into the bedsheets. He wanted to hear it even if it was a lie, even if it was said out of desperation and not the cook’s true feelings. His hands gripped tight on Sanji’s hips and shoulder. ‘Tell me you want me and no one else.’ The words didn’t leave his mouth as Sanji tensed under him but pushed his own hips back against him at the same time.

“…I-I want you.” Sanji’s voice was strained and nervous but it didn’t matter to Zoro. It was probably because he was pushing him again. Probably because he was being much more forceful than normal. Because he was making him say it like that. Zoro would make it up to him afterwards; give him everything he wanted for the rest of the night. Make Sanji sing in pleasure until he couldn’t take it anymore and leave him a satisfied trembling heap in Zoro’s arms.

He just needed to do this first.

Reaching down, Zoro positioned himself and shoved his hips forward as hard as he could, ripping a cry from Sanji’s throat. Even with his prep, Sanji was still painfully tight around him. Zoro enjoyed that though; the squeeze on his cock just making him want to sink inside further and bask in the feeling. When his hips were flush against Sanji’s ass, he let out a groan and bowed his head further forward, panting into Sanji’s ear without restraint. Sanji’s face was pressing into the sheets as he shuddered under him.

“You feel so fucking good,” Zoro hissed, pressing his lips to the flushed skin behind Sanji’s ear. “It’s like your hole was made to fit my cock.” He thrust his hips slightly into him as he spoke, knowing his words were far too crude but not really caring. Sanji whimpered under him softly, the sound muffled by the sheets. Continuing the movement, Zoro licked the shell of his ear and then bit it lightly. “You agree, don’t you?”

Sanji's hands fisted into the sheets. Zoro growled low in his throat at the sight and gave his hips another thrust, finding it easier now that the cook had adjusted to him a little more. He thought for a second that he saw Sanji nod, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He pulled back until he was barely inside him anymore, licking his lips.

“Say it.” He could tell Sanji was reluctant to repeat his words but it didn’t matter how he said it. He wanted Sanji to admit it. “Tell me what I want to hear.”

“M-My ho—“ Sanji began, but stopped himself partway through the word. He was shaking violently now. “M-Made…”

Somehow, just the attempts were enough. Zoro couldn’t stay angry when he knew Sanji was trying.

Zoro knew he was teasing him far beyond anything he’d done so far, recognised that it was perhaps too much too soon. It wasn’t Sanji’s fault that he was so frustrated; it was his own. Taking it out on his lover didn’t seem fair. He took a deep breath to calm himself, easing back into that warm welcoming heat slowly. The motion caused Sanji to cry out and wriggle underneath him as he angled his cock to slide firmly against the spot he knew Sanji liked the most. He could feel Sanji’s muscles spasming under his palms.

“It’s alright.” Zoro kissed at the side of Sanji’s neck, this time not stopping his hips from repeating the motion. “I hear you.” He pressed a little firmer this time, stroking his hand down from Sanji’s shoulder over his back soothingly. He wanted to turn Sanji over and look into his eyes, but he didn’t think he could.

Every time they did this, he’d yearned to watch the expressions he’d make yet every time he’d not felt capable. It was embarrassing but Zoro felt that if he saw exactly what he was making Sanji feel he would orgasm on the spot. His face was just too sexy, and the makeup didn’t help things in the least. Especially not when it got smudged. Zoro had never considered such things this erotic before, but when it came to Sanji it was almost too much to bear. Even just thinking about it made him feel like he was going to explode.

So instead, Zoro just kept taking those slow thrusts. Stayed gentle despite the raging in the pit of his stomach urging him to go faster. Moved enough to make Sanji moan but not enough to make himself come undone.

The cook writhed and made noise under him. He drank in the sounds and movements eagerly, slipping a hand underneath Sanji’s hips to tilt them upwards against him more. He’d felt the head of Sanji’s erection brush his forearm as he’d moved it, growling a little as he’d noticed how wet it was. Changing his mind he grasped at Sanji’s cock, pumping his hand in time with his own movements. He could tell Sanji was getting close again, pleased that the slower pace had gotten him this worked up too.

Zoro turned his head to speak into Sanji’s ear again. His unoccupied hand reached up and tilted Sanji’s head to the left so he could see his face.

“Are you gonna cum? Go ahead.” His gaze was entirely on Sanji’s mouth, the cook’s blond hair having fanned across his skin to hide his eye. Sanji’s lips were quivering at his words, tightening a little every time he sank back deep into him. Zoro felt intoxicated just looking at it. “I want to feel you tighten around me in ecstasy, and then I’m gonna cum inside you.”

He felt Sanji tense, watched as his lips strained closer together. He could sense how much the thought turned Sanji on even without feeling his cock twitch sharply at the words. He’d pulled out every time prior because he’d thought Sanji would have hated that, but it seemed like something he was definitely into. His own cock throbbed hard and he couldn’t help himself from picking up the pace a little; thrusting in just a bit harder and faster into him. His hand gave Sanji a long squeeze from the base of his cock to the very tip.

“Zo—!!” Half-shouting his name, Sanji came into his palm and clenched so much around his cock that it brought him over the edge too. It was different than before, the heat and tightness around him drawing his own orgasm out that little bit longer. It felt more intense like this, made Zoro feel light-headed but Sanji was still squeezing onto him. Perhaps he was still cumming, despite his cock beginning to soften in Zoro’s hand. If he hadn’t just finished himself, the thought would have had Zoro losing it too, or growing hard all over again.

When the cook finally relaxed under him, the swordsman was panting for breath.

“Fuck, that was…” Zoro groaned as he rolled off of Sanji and pulled him tight to his chest, burying his face against Sanji’s neck. His bout of jealousy was gone, washed away by the relief running through him. His fingertips trailed up and down Sanji’s back slowly, lingering between his shoulder blades on the small part of him that wasn’t covered by the dress; feeling the texture of his skin, his sweat, his muscles. He felt so relaxed and boneless now, his whole body humming in content. It was like he couldn’t even think straight. “You’re amazing, princess.” The praise fell from his lips so easily that it would have been scary if it didn’t feel so right to say. He didn’t just mean the sex either; Sanji had stunned him this entire evening with the way he’d been acting. He couldn’t help but compliment him on it. There was some guilt at his own desperation though; if only he’d managed to keep his cool the whole time…

“Don't call me that.” Out of nowhere Sanji pushed Zoro away and climbed out of the bed, getting to his feet much faster than Zoro had expected. Normally, Sanji would at least remain by his side until his makeup was gone. The swordsman sighed and turned onto his side to watch him, trying not to get cranky after being shoved away so soon after they’d just finished. “Not a princess, not a prince. Threw that away, remember?”

Zoro frowned at Sanji’s back. The nickname was just that – a cute pet name. He wasn’t trying to tease the cook when he said it. It had just felt appropriate to say; far better than something like ‘baby’ or ‘honey’. He’d figured Sanji would have had a bigger aversion to those, but it seemed like he was wrong.

“Didn’t realise it bothered you that much.”

Sanji sighed and put a hand on his hip, still facing out into the room. His other hand jerked in the air as if he was brushing off the statement.

“It does.” From the tone in his voice, Zoro guessed Sanji was scowling. The cook reached down and yanked the dress from his body, unceremoniously flinging it to the floor and leaving him standing there naked. “A lot about this bothers me. Didn’t think you were the kind of guy that went for anything resembling a woman.”

“Woah, where’s that coming from?” Zoro immediately jerked into a sitting position. He was on the edge of yelling at the cook for saying something so damned stupid, but he was holding himself back. “You know that’s not true!”

For one thing, Zoro had always made a point of touching Sanji’s cock. In fact, he really liked doing so. Stroking and licking over him was one of the things that got Zoro really heated up. If he was against the idea of doing a man, he wouldn’t have touched him in the first place. In some ways, it was because Sanji was a man that this was exciting to him – not in spite of it.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s why you always do it from behind and only lay hands on me when I’m – as you said – ‘dolled up’.” Sanji’s voice was bitter now, so much so that Zoro was stunned. How could he be upset about something like that? Whenever he tried to touch Sanji at any other time, he got mad at him! And just because Zoro had a preferred position— “Whatever, I’m going back after I wash my face.”

The whole point of booking this hotel room had been for them to be able to stay together without being cautious of the others coming back. So they could take their time and relax. If Sanji left now then it would have been for nothing. They may as well have just had a quickie and then carried on like before.

“Oi!” Sanji had already started walking toward the bathroom but stopped when Zoro shouted. “Why? We have this room for the whole night—“

“You can find someone else to stay in it.” Sanji seemed more agitated than ever, his fingers digging into his hip. “I’m done with being ‘pretty’.”

The misunderstanding was beginning to grate on the swordsman’s nerves. Did Sanji really think that was all he cared about? That he wanted to be with anyone other than the cook right now? That wasn’t the case at all – he wanted Sanji to stay. What he wore made no difference.

Zoro had already pushed for so much this time that he felt guilty but something in him was telling him that if he didn’t say it right now then he’d regret it. He grit his teeth for a moment and scratched at the back of his head in agitation.

“You know, it’s not just the dresses and the makeup that I like.”

Sanji stiffened visibly. Zoro wondered if he’d said too much, but in this situation he had to say something. It might as well be honest, even if he wasn’t sure that the blond would like it. Even if he himself didn’t feel quite ready to say it, either.

“Then what, the obedience?”

He hadn’t realised that Sanji had thought of it like that. If he didn’t want to do something, he didn’t have to! Zoro thought he’d made that clear.

“No! I like—“ Zoro couldn’t believe he was about to say it. He let his hand drop from the back of his head and into his lap with the other one. He was kind of grateful that Sanji wasn’t looking at him right now. “I like you as a man too, you know??”

It wasn’t the whole truth. If Zoro was completely honest, he just really liked _Sanji_. Even when the cook got angry and yelled at him, when they fought over petty things, when Sanji embarrassed him in front of others. Zoro liked it all. He’d actually liked him for a long time – catching him in the dress had just given Zoro the opportunity to act on his desires. He’d never intended to admit his feelings to the cook otherwise; he’d always assumed Sanji would never have an interest in him.

Perhaps even admitting the little he had was a step too far.

“Oh, yeah?” Sanji’s voice was dark, the cook seeming ready for a full-on fight at this point. “If that’s true then why did you make me shave?”

Zoro felt his blood run cold and then burn up. What kind of accusation was that? He hadn’t made him do anything! He even made a point of saying he wouldn’t force him!

“I didn’t make you do shit!” How they’d gone from holding each other to this in a matter of minutes was beyond Zoro. It was like he’d stepped into another dimension. “I suggested it because I thought it’d make you more comfortable!”

Sanji shook where he stood, his back still to the swordsman. Evidence of their tryst was sliding down his inner thigh and the bite mark was clear as day but Zoro was too worked up to get excited over the sight. He felt like he was being hit every time Sanji spoke.

“When I’m like _that_ ,” The word came out as a hiss. “I can’t help but do what you want. Even if I hate it.” Sanji’s hands clenched into fists.

“Why didn’t you tell me that sooner!” Zoro was now so angry he couldn’t keep it from showing. “This whole time, have you just been doing what I say no matter what??”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Through the anger, there was an undertone of amusement as Sanji bowed his head forward. “I didn’t want to do any of it.“

A kick to the gut would have been less painful to Zoro than hearing those words. Was that really what this had been? Sanji had seemed to be having fun too – he was sure of it!

“…You really mean that.” It was a question but it came out flat. Zoro’s voice was cold now. It didn’t make sense. Why did the cook come out here if he didn’t want to do these kinds of things? Why did he dress up and sleep with him? It wasn’t like he’d asked him to do it every time – Sanji had just been like that sometimes, and had come onto him just as often as he’d flirted first. “I don’t believe you.”

“Yeah? Well, you ain’t got to.” Sanji reached up suddenly, scrubbing at his face with the back of his hand. When it fell to his side again, Zoro could see the lipstick streaks clearly; the light sheen on Sanji’s arm both depressing and entrancing at the same time. The eyeshadow was a little harder to see, making Sanji’s arm look slightly bruised even as it swept upwards in a line.

Sanji’s normal clothes were folded up next to the bed. As the cook turned to get them, Zoro caught a glimpse of the remains of the makeup. The lipstick was faint now, smudged across his cheek towards his jaw. It would have looked like Sanji had been kissing a woman if his lips weren’t still slightly shining. The eyeshadow was in worse condition; still dark on the part of his eyelid closer to his nose though similarly faded in a smudge that went under his hair. Zoro wanted to comment on it but with how agitated Sanji was he thought better of it.

When his clothes were tugged back on Sanji toed into his shoes, giving both two taps on the front like he usually did. His hands were stuffed in his pockets now, his hair forming a curtain between him and the swordsman so Zoro could no longer see his face.

Zoro was at a loss for what to do now, for what to say. Partly because he didn’t want to piss Sanji off further and partly because he felt like there was nothing that he could do to turn this around. Their night had been ruined, and though he genuinely didn’t know if Sanji was telling the truth or not, he knew doing anything would just make it worse. But he couldn’t leave it like this. If he did, he was sure that things wouldn’t go back to how they were.

“Sa—“

“Don’t.” The finality in the word caused Zoro to stop mid-word, somehow feeling winded. Sanji stalked towards the door, pausing briefly in the doorway. “Leave me alone.”

Zoro released the breath that had caught in his throat as Sanji slammed the door behind him. He guessed that was the end of this. He had pushed way too hard and now wouldn’t see Sanji like that ever again.

The thought made him feel sick to his stomach.

Still trying to digest the unnerving things Sanji had said, Zoro sighed. He didn’t know what kind of face to show him the next time he saw him. His gaze numbly skimmed the room, the empty sake bottle, dirty bedsheets and crumpled dress being the only signs Sanji had even been in here with him.

A wave of guilt and discomfort washed over him suddenly, causing him to bury his head in his hands in defeat. How did he fuck it up this badly?


	3. Trouble Deflated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji thinks over the events of the previous night and tries to come to terms with things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble Deflated
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, crossdressing, drama, overthinking. Apparently I like bullying Zoro now too. Oops. Is no sex in this chapter a warning? Because, yeah, that’s the case. Not everything can have sex in it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own One Piece, and I never will.
> 
> Chapter rating: PG-13 (for sex references)
> 
> Sanji POV again this time. Gonna alternate them because a) I can and b) it gives you more info on why they’re reacting the way they are. Plus, y’know, it’s fun. We're about halfway through what I have planned for this, so don't let the end of this chapter fool you. There's gonna be more.
> 
> Also in case anyone’s interested, the songs I listen to when I write this are [Demi Lovato’s Heart Attack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AByfaYcOm4A) (for Sanji) and [Jason Reeves’ Reaching](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_kXNul6lIM) (for Zoro). Just in case you wanted a little insight. There are other songs in the playlist but these are the important ones.
> 
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slaughterchichi) | [Tumblr](http://slaughterchichi.tumblr.com) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/slaughterchichi) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slaughterchichi)

The next morning, Sanji was in the galley getting ready to make breakfast for the crew. Though they were on a new island, he never skipped out on his chef duties. Cooking for everyone made him happy, gave him his purpose. Watching them eat his food so happily was one of the joys that made Sanji feel like leaving the Baratie had been worth it. They hadn’t found All Blue yet, but he genuinely believed it was only a matter of time.

Of course, the thrill of adventure and making sure Luffy became the pirate king were important too. He wanted to make sure everyone achieved their dreams, to be there when they did so he could congratulate them and make a feast in celebration. Ideally, he wanted to be by their side every step of the way.

Chopper and Nami-san were already making great headway on their goals – seeing the world and drawing it was easy when you were travelling all the time. The same went for Franky, who was constantly maintaining and upgrading their ship. There was no doubt that with him around, they could sail through anything. With every fight, Usopp seemed to be becoming braver and more capable. He might not see it himself, but he was already becoming the brave warrior of the sea he’d longed to be. They hadn’t found a Poneglyph in a while, but he was sure that Robin-chan would get to see the world’s history someday. All it would take is for them to keep searching. Brook would definitely get to see Laboon – they just had to find the One Piece first. Sanji figured that they’d go back for a victory lap and to visit everyone again when everything was over.

And Zoro—

Sanji put down the knife in his hands, frowning slightly.

He didn’t really want to think about the swordsman all that much. Especially after what had happened last night.

Truth be told, Sanji was still shaken from the events that had transpired.

Not just from the night before, but the entire situation.

Whatever it was that they were doing was still confusing to him. Confusing and frustrating, because even now he didn’t really understand why they were doing it. As he’d said to the swordsman, a lot about it bothered him.

Why were they fucking in the first place? Why did he keep letting Zoro do as he wanted? Why did he enjoy it so much?

Perhaps what bothered Sanji more was that Zoro had never asked him why he was dressed like that. The first time aside, it wasn’t like he hadn’t had ample opportunities to bring it up. Did the swordsman just assume it was something that he was into? Had he thought that this was just something Sanji had been doing this whole time? Or was it that Zoro just didn’t care about it at all?

The cook didn’t really have answers for any of those questions.

Uncomfortable, Sanji stared at the wall as his mind drifted back to last night. The things that had happened over the course of a few short hours still seemed a little unreal to him, though he knew they had definitely happened. In some way, it had felt like an out of body experience for him. He’d never really expected Zoro to act like that.

That said, Sanji had somewhat expected the aggression after the scene in the bar. He’d mostly been fine with it, though it had been so sudden. It was a refreshing change of pace to feel a bit helpless; their sex hadn’t been exactly soft up to this point anyway. He’d been unable to control his reactions and just take it in his stride, but that didn’t mean he’d hated it.

However, the things Zoro had said had not been okay. That he’d tried to make him say them back even worse. Sanji felt uncomfortable just remembering it. Zoro had pushed way too hard at his comfort zone the whole night, and he felt ashamed that he’d tried to go along with it in the heat of the moment. Throughout the time at the bar, Sanji had attempted to calm himself with the drinks and the singing, just to keep himself feeling like he was in control. When they were in the hotel room again, he’d had no such avenues.

But what bugged him the most about the whole night, truly, had been the abrupt change in tone just after. When Zoro’s voice had gone soft and he’d become gentle with him, fucking him almost lovingly. If Sanji was honest, it had actually scared him. Not just the shift, but the tenderness. He couldn’t figure out what was going through Zoro’s head at all.

Their romps were not meant to be anything but physical pleasure. If Zoro thought more of it, Sanji couldn’t let it go on.

The situation had been difficult enough for him as it was. Being asked out of nowhere to go outside, the prior preparation of a razor and tights to placate him into doing it. The fact that he himself had allowed himself to get swept up in it and gotten so carried away that he’d shaved everything. And that was ignoring the whole dress and makeup thing. He still wasn’t sure how to feel about that, let alone anything else.

Sanji reached up to touch at his chin, feeling heat in his cheeks at the unusual smoothness of it. He’d liked his beard, liked the hair on his legs. Why he’d shaved it off for Zoro was somehow out of his grasp. All he knew is that when he’d started, he hadn’t wanted to stop. It was like a dam had broken; taking away his common sense with it. How long would it take to all grow back? It definitely wouldn’t be fast enough for the rest of the crew not to notice. What excuse could he possibly come up with when they eventually commented on it? His mind kept coming up empty.

The entire thing had been too overwhelming for him, really. When Zoro had called him princess afterward he’d just snapped. Said too much, like usual. Ran his mouth like he was in a race, though the only prize had been fucking it up more and leaving his things behind.

He knew Zoro would avoid him now. To be honest, Sanji didn’t blame him. He’d told him to leave him alone, after all. What was he supposed to do? Push on his boundaries all over again? Even Zoro wasn’t that tactless. Sanji could tell from the tone of Zoro’s voice that he’d really hurt him with his outbursts, but he didn’t think there was anything he could do now to fix it. Wasn’t actually sure if he should fix it in the first place.

Though, if Zoro really was feeling more than lust about this, perhaps it was for the best. At least Sanji wouldn’t have to have that conversation with him about it to confirm his suspicions.

Turning his gaze back to the breakfast preparations, Sanji just sighed. He had things to do; now wasn’t the time to worry over this. What would happen would happen.

\--

Over breakfast, the other members of the crew definitely noticed the change.

“Oh, Sanji-kun? What happened to your beard?” Nami asked, eyeing his face even as she started eating her food. The others were all looking at him as well except for Luffy, who never cared to comment on or question such things. He was too busy stuffing his face in excitement like usual, making sounds of happiness with each bite.

Sanji froze in his seat with an awkward smile as he tried to come up with an excuse. Robin took the time to sprout a hand from his shoulder, the fingertips trailing over his chin in interest.

“Hmm, it’s cute, isn’t it?” The older woman teased, looking at Sanji over her fork. “It suits you.”

Normally Sanji would have been over the moon at the women paying him this much attention. However, he was a little panicked over what to say; the previous night’s events running through his head.

“A-Ah, thank you!” Face flushing red, the cook quickly brought some food to his own lips, savouring it just to give himself a little more time to think. “I just…felt like a change, I guess?”

The nervousness in his voice gave him away but instead of pushing further, the ladies just nodded and went back to their breakfasts. They’d probably guessed he didn’t want to talk about it and Sanji was grateful for their tact. The arm on his shoulder burst into flower petals as it disappeared, leaving them strewn over his clothes before they too met the same fate.

“I think Sanji’s beard is cool!” Chopper piped up, waving his spoon. As Sanji glanced at him, the reindeer seemed to panic. Like he’d realised he might have said something rude somehow. “But, it’s not like this is bad either!” Sanji laughed gently, a little happy that he wasn’t the only one who had liked his beard.

The topic dropped, everyone started discussing their plans for the day. Franky and Usopp both wanted more supplies for their respective workshops, Nami and Robin wanted to go clothes shopping, the two younger Strawhats were talking about finding somewhere to play. Brook said nothing, seemingly lost in thought. 

Zoro hadn’t even showed up, making Sanji both relieved and a little frustrated. He’d figured he’d be avoided but this was somewhat ridiculous – what was he going to do for food? And, more importantly, how dare he skip the meals that Sanji made? Even if he knew the reason it was still insulting to him.

Oddly, no one had brought the swordsman’s absence up yet.

Sanji definitely didn't want to be the one that mentioned it. He felt like they’d suspect him of something if he did; like they’d know what was going on just from him saying something. He knew it was paranoia but that didn’t make a difference.

"I wonder where Zoro is.” It was Luffy who voiced the thought, just when Sanji had begun clearing away the dishes. He tried not to freeze in place, just bringing the plates in his hands over to the counter in silence.

“Maybe he’s lost?” Usopp ventured, resting his chin on his hand. “I think I saw him wandering about yesterday.”

Sanji tensed at the words. Had Usopp seen them together? He didn’t remember seeing anyone else while they were out though…

“That’s just like him!” Luffy was laughing now, slapping his hand on the table. “Well, whatever. I’m sure he’ll come back eventually.” The others joined in his merriment, beginning to make fun of Zoro by bringing up other times he’d gotten lost before. Sanji calmed down and began wrapping the swordsman’s breakfast in clingfilm. He could always eat it when he came back, that or it would be served to someone else as a snack later.

Thankfully, no one was concerned. This was something that happened often, after all. 

When they all filed out of the galley, Brook looked over to him.

“Sanji-san, are you alright?” Ah, Brook was perceptive like usual. He was grateful for Brook’s tactfulness too; it obvious the skeleton had waited until they were alone to bring it up. At his lack of response, Brook pressed on. “Do you want to talk?”

Sanji considered it for a moment, but thought better of it. It wasn’t like talking to anyone else was going to help all that much; he didn’t want anyone to know anyway.

“Ah, no, I’m fine.”

The part about being fine was obviously a lie, but Brook seemed to catch on pretty quickly. Nodding, the musician got to his feet, bowing slightly at Sanji.

“Breakfast was delicious. I am looking forward to lunch, yohoho!”

As Sanji smiled back in return, Brook left the galley.

It was so nice how close the crew was. How they could tell when something was off. But it was nicer how they read the atmosphere and left things be when needed. The cook really appreciated that. Knowing he was cared for was great, even if it wasn’t something he was used to just yet.

Left alone with his thoughts, Sanji sat on one of the stools and lit up a cigarette.

Truth be told, he was getting more concerned about what had happened last night as time passed by. His thoughts couldn’t seem to settle.

Being in the galley by himself felt weird now. Nothing had really changed but it felt deathly quiet. No longer did he hallucinate a voice pleading for his attention, nor did he have the impulse to go over to the cupboard and open it. He’d gotten so used to having his secret locked in here that it not being there was oddly uncomfortable.

Though it had barely been a few hours, Sanji found himself actually missing the dress.

The outfit had made him more honest with what he wanted, able to act on it with less of the guilt and discomfort he felt towards this part of himself. He didn’t want to accept it. Acting impulsively on these desires made him feel confused. So when they were sated, he beat himself up over it a lot. Sanji was ashamed of this side of himself. Both the side that wanted those things and the side that was uncomfortable with it. If it’s what he wanted, he should be able to come to terms with it but it felt like such a hurdle. Especially since it had gone from 0 to 100 so quickly.

When Zoro had found him in the dress, he’d been trying to figure out what it was inside him that wanted any part of it. He’d not been prepared in any way to deal with what was going to happen. Perhaps if it hadn’t been the very first time he’d done it alone – in what he’d thought was a controlled and safe environment – things would have gone differently. As it was, he was trying to reconcile two confusing things at once, and he couldn’t focus on one or the other let alone come to terms with them.

In a way, he wanted to just blame Zoro for all of it. He knew that wasn’t fair, but shifting the blame always made things easier – gave Sanji that bit of room he needed to breathe. Of course, it also made him not look at the issues head-on.

Sanji knew he couldn’t just do that this time. While whatever it was they were doing was definitely partly Zoro’s fault, blaming him for the dress really wasn’t possible. If anything, it was the fault of those damn okamas who—

No. This wasn’t helping.

Regardless of how he’d gotten into the situation, no one else had made him feel like this. Whether he liked it or not, these were his own feelings.

Sanji took a deep breath to calm himself. The ash fell from his cigarette onto his knee in one long chunk before bursting into powder on his thigh. He brought the remains of the cig to his lips again and took another drag; too distracted to really notice that most of it had burned away already.

More relaxed now, Sanji took only a few more seconds before he allowed himself the next thoughts.

He liked wearing dresses. Wearing makeup too. Felt oddly beautiful when he did. He’d even enjoyed the smoothness of his legs once he’d shaved them and the weird satisfaction it had given him.

Just admitting it to himself caused his face to flush, but it wasn’t bad. Uncomfortable and embarrassing, sure. But he felt a bit better now, far less stressed and full of self-loathing than he’d been after Momoiro Island. It was a bigger step to accepting his feelings than he’d thought he’d ever get.

But now that left what was going on between him and Zoro to think about.

Similarly, Sanji was stressed and uncomfortable with that. Again, the speed that it had happened was probably part of the issue but it wasn’t the whole problem.

He’d allowed Zoro to sweep him away the first time. The times after, he had done it seeking the pleasure. Having sex in general felt great, but having that kind of sex with Zoro had been strangely freeing. Not to mention just how amazing it had actually been – Sanji would never have expected the _swordsman_ of all people to be that good in bed. He’d never really thought about it too much before, but he’d somehow thought that Zoro would have been oblivious to what his partner wanted. That or the kind of man that put his own pleasure first and didn’t bother thinking about the other person. The fact that he seemed to be the exact opposite was surprising.

Sanji felt his face getting redder at this train of thought.

The beginnings of arousal welled in his gut but he pushed it down. There was no point getting horny about it right now. It wasn’t what he was supposed to be thinking through! He jerked his head as if to shake the thoughts out. His gaze fell onto his hand when he opened his eyes again.

Noticing the state of his neglected cigarette, he stuffed it out into an ashtray and lit another idly, more for the comfort of the familiar action than the desire to smoke.

When he thought about the swordsman, there was more than just lust and irritation there. Getting turned on was obvious, given what they’d been up to lately. It would be hard to think of the person you were having sex with and not feel that way, really. Getting mad made sense too; Zoro pissed him off quite a lot – bedroom activities notwithstanding – by doing stupid things and making fun of him at every opportunity. Sanji tried to give back as much as he got but he wasn’t sure why he bothered rising to it at all. He’d probably have an easier time if he just ignored the bastard.

But somehow, he’d never been able to do that.

Maybe it was because they were the same age or because they were both so damned competitive. Maybe because they were so evenly matched in terms of fighting prowess. Maybe it was something else entirely, but he didn’t know what.

Ever since he’d met Zoro, the swordsman had turned his worldview on its head. First with his ideas on how to live, then again at Thriller Bark when he’d been ready to sacrifice his own life for Luffy’s. And now, with this sexual fling. It was like everything Zoro did threw Sanji’s heart and mind into disarray. All Sanji could do was try to sort through his jumbled thoughts and try to reach his own conclusions.

He didn’t hate that, but this time it was proving a more difficult untangling than he was prepared for. He felt like his thoughts just kept going around in circles.

Though he didn’t really understand his own feelings on the matter, it was painfully clear that he had no clue what Zoro’s were. 

Whilst Sanji recognised that he always got swept into Zoro’s pace, he wasn’t sure why the swordsman tried to piss him off. He always seemed to find a way to draw Sanji’s attention to himself, like when he’d called him ‘prince’ all the way back in Arabasta. Sanji had meant for the ‘call me prince’ comment to only apply to the women and he was sure Zoro had known that. Yet the swordsman had said it himself and then told off Usopp and Chopper for repeating the word. At the time, Sanji had just considered it to be Zoro being childish but now he wasn’t so sure.

Especially not since Zoro had gotten so jealous at the bar. That’s what it had been, right?

Typically, people didn’t get jealous for no reason. There was always a driving force behind it, even if it wasn’t always a good reason. So why had he reacted like that?

Sanji didn't actually have to think about it that hard. Zoro's behaviour earlier in the evening was somewhat of a giveaway. He’d called Sanji ‘his’.

If Zoro hadn’t gotten jealous later on, Sanji probably would have been able to shrug the comment off as some kind of dirty talk or sex thing. As it was now, he was beginning to get a clearer picture of the situation. Sanji couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to figure it out.

Zoro definitely had feelings for him. The idea was concerning.

Not only because he had no clue how to respond to it, but because when he thought about it his chest grew tight and his stomach did somersaults.

Sanji couldn’t pinpoint his own reaction. He knew it made him nervous; that was easy to identify. But the other feelings in his body were weird. Considering the thought made him feel shaky and kind of on edge. Like he was waiting for something. He wasn’t sure he liked it.

Running a hand through his hair, Sanji sighed deeply and got to his feet as he stubbed out the second cig. As he’d suspected, he couldn’t let this go on any further. But it wasn’t like he could leave things as they were. Zoro hadn’t been back on the ship yet and though Nami had mentioned that the Log Pose would probably be ready by nightfall, they couldn’t leave without him.

On some level, Sanji actually wanted to leave the swordsman behind. It would have been a hell of a lot easier for him if they did. However, he was also determined not to run away from the situation. As confusing and stressful as it was, part of him didn’t want that. He was sure he knew which side of him it was too.

Either way, it wasn’t going to get better if he ignored it.

They still had time before they would be able to leave. Perhaps Zoro would eventually show up on his own. If not, they’d have to go and find the damned lost child.

Feeling a little more comfortable in his own skin than he’d been in years, Sanji turned back towards his kitchen.

\--

By the time dinner rolled around, there had still been no sighting of Zoro. No flashes of green or swords, no idiot sleeping on the deck.

Sanji wasn’t the only one who was concerned now. The others had begun to get nervous, all standing on the deck in a circle as they debated what had happened. From him being lost to getting captured by the marines, the speculation was beginning to get a bit out of hand. Usopp joked that he’d had an argument with a woman or something, not knowing how close to the mark he actually was. Feeling guilty, the cook just stood with them and said nothing.

“Do you think we should go and search for him?” Chopper was shaking slightly; his anxiety affecting the rest of them and drawing them out of their silly gossiping. The mood turned sombre in about two seconds, the silence now a little deafening.

Realising he’d not taken any attempt to ridicule Zoro all day and how weird that must be, Sanji said the first thing that came to mind. If nothing else, it might ease them back into being calm.

"Probably should get him a collar with a bell on it,” Sanji snorted, though it was forced. “Wouldn’t lose him as easily then.”

As if he’d been summoned by the jibe, Zoro finally returned to the Thousand Sunny. He looked like shit; large bags under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept a wink. Sanji felt a pang of guilt and then the weird flip-flopping in his stomach started all over again.

“Where have you been?” Nami shouted in Zoro’s direction, annoyed by how long it had taken for him to come back. She started walking over to him but paused as she took in his haggard appearance, speaking much softer now. “Hey, did something happen?”

The swordsman lifted his head in their direction, briefly locking gazes with Sanji before turning his head away.

“…Don’t want to talk about it.” The dejected tone of voice did not suit Zoro at all and it stunned the other Strawhats into silence. Shaking his head, Zoro didn’t say anything else as he walked past them and entered the ship.

The atmosphere somehow worse now than when they’d been speculating wildly, the rest of the crew just looked at each other in silence. No one wanted to be the first to speak. Sanji could feel the worry as if it was a physical being, the guilt in his chest just seeming to get heavier as the seconds passed by. He was the only one that knew it was his fault but it felt like they were waiting for him to do something.

Sanji caved into the pressure, even though he’d created it all by himself.

“...I’ll talk to him.” The others turned to look at him in confusion, none of them having expected him of all people to offer. He shook his head at their stares and let out a sigh. It wasn’t like he could tell them what had happened, but he could at least do this. “It’s fine. I’ll be back later.”

As he walked away, Sanji felt oddly relieved to be out of there.

Arguably the conversation he was about to have was going to be way more tense, but everyone being so distressed had unsettled him. Dealing with one stressed out person should be easier to handle, especially since he wasn’t going to have to hide anything. Not that he didn’t want to, of course. If he could sort this out without going into depth, he wanted to. It wasn’t going to be that easy though; he could tell from how awful Zoro had looked that a simple apology wasn’t going to cut it.

Catching up with him faster than he’d expected, Sanji spotted Zoro go into the men’s quarters. The door shut behind him quietly, Sanji swallowing a lump in his throat as he dithered in the hallway a little bit longer. He didn’t want Zoro to feel stalked. Trying to think of how to phrase what he was going to say, Sanji walked closer to the door, keeping his footsteps as light as he could.

Alerting Zoro too early would probably put him further on the defensive than he already was, yet slinking in would startle him and likely cause the same reaction. The cook was unsure of what approach to take.

His hand rested on the handle as he looked at his feet.

Sanji found himself yearning for the dress once again. Wanting the comfort of being able to say what he was thinking without the anxiety that was flooding through him getting in his way.

However, this was the kind of conversation that he couldn’t have while wearing it. Not just because he’d left it behind but because of what he’d said last time. Though it had been lies, he knew that if he dressed like that Zoro wouldn’t listen to him.

So he had to have this conversation dressed as himself. Had to be honest and open without excuse and nothing to fall back on. The idea made him nervous but he didn’t really have a choice.

He opened the door and walked in like he hadn’t got a care in the world. It was dark in the room without the lights on, but he could make Zoro out from the sunset coming in from the window. The swordsman was lying on his bed.

“Oi, what are you doing? Everyone’s been worried about you all day.” Sanji asked, leaning against the wall. He wanted to light a cigarette, but he knew Zoro disliked them. Better to avoid annoying him if he wanted him to talk, right? Besides, after the few he’d wasted earlier in the morning he was trying to cut back a bit. If they were going to leave after breakfast like Nami had implied, he was going to have to be more careful with the ones he had. Who knew when they’d arrive at the next island anyway?

His question was met with silence, the swordsman just lying in his hammock facing away from him like he wasn’t even there. He’d have believed Zoro was asleep if he heard any snoring, but the quiet told him otherwise. The tenseness in Zoro’s shoulders gave him away too; the swordsman having stiffened when he’d entered the room.

Sanji sighed. Normal conversation was probably not going to work. Which meant that joking or insulting him wouldn’t work either.

If he wanted to fix things, he was going to have to be honest with Zoro. Far more than he wanted to be. It was uncomfortable but he knew that he didn’t have another option. Whether they went back to doing those things or not, they were crewmates and he couldn’t leave things this strained.

Deciding not to dance around the issue any further; Sanji steeled himself, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“You know, I’m not a woman. There’s not a moment for me where I stop being a man.” Sanji felt his cheeks burning as he spoke. He’d sort-of began from the middle of what he wanted to say, but it wasn’t like he could change it now. He had to keep going. “It’s hard to resist doing as you say at times, but it’s not… not how I implied it was.” It was a good start but probably not enough. Zoro still hadn’t reacted to his words; unmoving, still staring off away from him. Sanji was going to have to be a little more open if he wanted him to respond. “It’s only difficult because I want to do it as well.”

Zoro turned his head to look back at him, his expression neutral. Sanji recognised it as him being guarded and cautious, but the look in Zoro’s eye was telling him something else. There was an inkling of hope there. Sanji swallowed uncomfortably.

“So you were lying?” When Zoro spoke, he almost jumped out of his skin. Even his tone was neutral. An angrier outburst would have been better – at least then he would be able to respond in kind. As it was, Sanji was finding even this much difficult to say calmly. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, the shame he felt at his own feelings making him want to scream.

“…” Taking a few moments to weigh up how he should answer, Sanji sighed. He’d thought that would have been obvious from what he’d just said, but decided to make it clearer this time. “Yeah.”

“Why?” It was an understandable that Zoro would ask and Sanji had expected it, but it didn’t stop him from feeling somehow attacked.

“Look, try to think of it from my side of things for a minute.” The cook felt a little like he was stalling for time. Like all he had to do was distract the swordsman for a few minutes and then everything would be alright. In the back of his head he knew the thought was ridiculous. What exactly was he stalling for? To avoid this discussion that he’d started? He shook his head and took a deep breath. “This whole thing is still so weird to me. I don’t understand myself. I don’t get why I’m doing what I’m doing, or why I like it.” Sanji pressed on through the tightness in his chest, averting his gaze to try and lessen the load on his heart. “…and I can’t tell what you’re thinking when we’re doing that stuff. Of course I’m going to come up with my own conclusions.”

He heard Zoro turning in the bunk but didn’t raise his head. It was easier if he didn’t look at him; he felt the words dropping more naturally from his lips that way. Zoro still didn’t say anything, but Sanji didn’t really need him to speak yet. He just needed him to listen.

"You treated me like a woman from the get-go, and while part of me was flattered and really liked it... part of me fucking hated it.” His hands fisted in his pockets; the legs of his trousers bunching up uncomfortably around his hips. He hoped Zoro wouldn’t notice and think he was going to become aggressive. Though this was hard on him, he was at least making an effort to put it out there – he didn’t need to cause further misunderstandings with his body language. “I couldn’t figure out which feeling to listen to, and you just kept doing it every time. I felt…” Sanji shuddered and sighed again. “I felt emasculated and I couldn’t stand it.”

Zoro just regarded him in silence, not prompting him to continue. He knew the swordsman was listening to every word, trying to take it all in. It was hard to just say it like this, as though he were monologuing in his head for the millionth time instead of having a conversation. Probably because he knew someone could hear him, because it was an extremely personal rant that could affect the future of everyone on the ship. The situation felt unreal, tense and far more embarrassing than he’d thought. There was no good place to stop and wait for Zoro to finally respond, so he was just going to have to keep throwing his feelings out there until it happened.

“Last time – when you said those _things_ and waited for me to say them back – it was just too much. I couldn’t—” Sanji knew he was rambling, heard the speed of his words pick up along with his tone as he grew ashamed but couldn’t stop now. “I couldn’t take it. And then, you— you got so fucking gentle, out of goddamn nowhere. How could I possibly adjust to that??” Talking about the dress was one thing, but rehashing the previous night’s events was far more stressful. It didn’t help that he was remembering it with every word, fighting back the strange mix of emotions that came when he thought about it. “You were treating me like… like I was made of glass or something, and it was—” ‘Scary’. ‘Embarrassing’. ‘So good’. Sanji couldn’t say any of them. They all fit but none seemed right somehow. Instead, he lifted his gaze to Zoro’s face, trying to gauge his reaction. He couldn’t make it out. Sanji felt his voice drop to a whisper. “…That nickname was the final straw.”

Zoro’s mouth opened. Sanji could almost hear the word as Zoro lips moved but no sound came out. The frustration threatened to overwhelm him. He’d said not to say it, but having Zoro almost-say it was somehow worse. His body reacted even without actually hearing it, a flush of content and happiness washing over him that he wasn’t sure he liked. If the swordsman was going to say it he should just fucking do it, so that Sanji could kick him or yell instead of just standing there.

A few moments passed in silence as Zoro seemed to consider all of Sanji’s admissions at once. Like he was trying to figure out what to say in response. Sanji was tightly wound now; not trusting himself to say or do another thing. If he did, he was going to just blurt out whatever he wanted to ease the situation again.

“So, you want to stop?” Zoro’s tone was flat, not an ounce of emotion in it. “Go back to how we were, pretend this never happened?” Zoro was pissing Sanji off more and more. Not offering his own thoughts, his own feelings on what they’d been doing, leaving it all to Sanji’s decision. Though he’d been initially concerned about dealing with what Zoro’s emotions were, the reality of not getting anything in return to his confessions was driving Sanji crazy. He didn’t understand his own feelings on the matter – how was he supposed to make a choice like this by himself? Zoro shifted into a sitting position, his gaze on the floor between them. “…I don’t want to. I know it’s not been… ideal, but I don’t want to leave it here.”

Finally, a base that Sanji could work from.

He could have jumped for joy if he wasn’t feeling so nervous. He didn’t get the chance to even think of his reply though; the swordsman heaving his own heavy sigh before continuing to talk.

“If you want to, then I’ll respect it.” Zoro’s teeth were grit even as he said it, his hand coming to press against his forehead. “I won’t like it but it’s not up to me.” Sanji wanted to keep waiting – make Zoro struggle and then spill his guts like he himself had been forced to – but Zoro seemed to find his words far easier than he could. “I’m even fine with starting over and taking our time while we figure it out. I can be patient. Just tell me what you’re thinking.”

Sanji actually felt like he'd told Zoro enough of what was going on in his head for one day, but just let out a sigh and shrugged. This is where his thinking all day had failed him. Unlike Zoro, he didn’t know what he wanted from here.

“I’m not actually sure of that myself.” Keeping up his honesty felt like breathing now; like it was something normal that he could do without even thinking about it. Like he was wearing the dress, but somehow without the urge to adhere to Zoro’s whims. It was weird but he wasn’t that uncomfortable now.

Zoro’s shoulders sagged visibly. The hand pressed to his head curled into a fist. Sanji didn’t feel threatened at all – he knew that frustration well himself. The swordsman had sort-of put himself out there as well, though Sanji was certain he wasn’t saying everything that was on his mind. Perhaps Zoro couldn’t put what he was feeling for him into words either. It was probably a little sadistic, but the idea made Sanji feel more relaxed. They were both confused then.

The pressure weighing on him seemed to lessen. Zoro hadn’t made fun of him or done something like confess undying love for him. Just state a desire not to stop – one he was feeling too.

Maybe Zoro having feelings wasn’t as bad as he’d initially expected.

As they stood there in silence, Sanji released the tension in his hands. If it had just been lust on Zoro’s part, this would have undoubtedly been much harder for him. He could imagine what the amusement on Zoro’s face would have looked like, the way he would have teased him about it and then ignored what he’d said. How he’d push him to breaking point. In reality, Zoro having feelings meant he was more likely to take what Sanji said to heart and not do it in the future.

“So…what then?” Zoro was quiet but the frustration was clear in his voice. He looked like he was going to curl up on himself or crack from the pressure he was feeling. Seeing Zoro so vulnerable was both interesting and, oddly, painful to watch. Sanji realised that he didn’t like it.

Still uncertain, Sanji pushed away from the wall and took a few steps closer to him. As he looked down at the top of Zoro’s head, he slipped his hands from his pockets. Maybe this wasn’t the right decision but something inside him was insisting it would be okay.

Calmly, he laid his hands on both sides of Zoro’s face and tilted his head up so he could face him properly. Then, before he could react, Sanji leaned down and pressed their lips together once. Zoro just stared at him, the swordsman’s face gradually turning red. The mixture of confusion and hope on his features was oddly endearing. Sanji’s chest squeezed at the sight.

“…Let’s figure it out together?” They weren’t his own words but they felt right to say.

There was a second where nothing happened. He smiled reassuringly as he watched as the swordsman slowly realise what he’d just said, blinking as if he’d misheard him or something and was trying to work out what was going on. Then it all seemed to click into place at once; Zoro responding by wrapping his arms around Sanji’s waist and kissing him. Sanji closed his eyes and kissed him back.

The pair of them had come too far to just stop here and he didn’t know where this was going to go, but Sanji wanted to find out. If it didn’t work, they could just deal with it later.


	4. Trouble Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have been going smoothly since Zoro and Sanji had their talk. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't other things to worry about...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble Brewing
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, crossdressing, drama, referenced sex, sex acts. …And some other stuff~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own One Piece, and I never will.
> 
> Chapter rating: M
> 
> Aaaaand back to Zoro’s POV. Everything is nice and breezy now, right? Smooth sailing? Well… let’s just see, hm?
> 
> Quick note, there’s a timeskip between the last chapter and this one. (Same for the others that are coming) No point watching painfully slow progress when I can speed things along a little. It’d be too similar to fully write out and I’d rather give you the important progress!
> 
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Cuddled up on the floor of one of the Thousand Sunny’s many storage rooms, Zoro held Sanji in his arms. They’d just finished having sex while the others were out and while Zoro was feeling pretty satisfied overall, their entire situation was playing on his mind.

It wasn’t that he was unhappy with it; he was actually incredibly grateful that the cook had decided to continue their ‘relationship’ but he felt like there was more he could be doing. Something to relieve the tension that he’d been told Sanji felt all the time. Personally, he wasn’t all that bothered about the others finding out about them. It wasn’t like they were doing anything wrong – what could possibly be bad about two grown men indulging themselves? It wasn’t like they were hurting anyone with what they did.

Then again, he figured he had a lot less to risk than Sanji did.

For one thing, it wasn’t him who was dressing up. Neither did he try to paint himself as a ‘cool’ ladies’ man.

Zoro didn’t care because he didn’t put up fronts. What other people thought of him was inconsequential. The important thing was getting stronger and proving himself in battle. Though lately, it wasn’t just training that was on his mind.

Looking down at the blond hair nestled against his chest, Zoro couldn’t help a smile. This was nice. It was the closeness he was looking for when he’d booked that hotel all that time ago, though it wouldn’t last nearly as long as the hotel stay would have. Well, if he hadn’t fucked it up anyway.

That said, everything that had happened until now had been necessary.

In a lot of ways, it was because he’d gone overboard that they could be this close now. That he understood Sanji a little better. If it hadn’t happened when it did, it was still going to be an issue further down the line anyway – he was sort of glad it was over now. It meant he could try and progress, rather than keep an awkward status quo.

Since they'd had that conversation, Sanji had seemed to warm up to him a lot more. He still wore the dresses and makeup whenever they had sex, but now he wasn’t as jittery the rest of the time. Plus, he was actually more affectionate now and far less adverse to Zoro being gentle with him. Hence the cuddling.

Though he still wanted to touch Sanji like this without the outfits, he was more than willing to let the cook take his time. Maybe it would never happen, but he couldn’t really complain. Keeping Sanji happy was better than frustrating him, even if it meant Zoro had to give up on a couple of things.

Sighing in content, Zoro buried his nose into the blond locks, breathing in Sanji’s scent. This was the longest they’d ever spent just holding each other, knowing that no one would be back for a few more hours at least. He wanted to savour it for as long as he possibly could.

Of course, he still didn’t really understand why letting the others know was such a big deal. Who cared what Sanji wore anyway? It wasn’t like he hadn’t worn stupid things before – like the awful pink shirt he’d donned in Skypiea – so why would a dress be such a problem? It was just another piece of clothing. He honestly didn’t think the rest of the Strawhats would give a shit.

If anything, he felt like them knowing would make things go smoother.

He didn’t want to disturb the peace, but he wanted Sanji to know that everything would be okay.

Clearing his throat, he shifted his arms; one to hold Sanji’s head to him and the other to rest on his back. Even if Sanji didn’t like what he was going to say, he had to say it. Though it was probably the wrong thing to do, he was going to make sure that the cook didn’t shove him away while he was explaining himself. As far as Zoro was concerned, the least he could do was stay long enough to hear him out. He could always get angry when he was finished, after all.

“You know, I don’t think anyone on our crew is going to have a problem with this.” His hands stroked over Sanji’s back and fingered at the seams of the blue dress to indicate what he meant. “They’re a lot more open than you might think.” Zoro was quiet as he spoke, hoping to not set Sanji off. He didn’t want to piss him off and have him withdraw himself all over again, not after what had happened before. Hurriedly, Zoro added: “I’m not telling you to go and do it; I’m asking you to consider the possibility that it won’t be as bad as you’re expecting. I mean, I didn’t react badly to it, did I?”

Then again, Zoro wasn’t entirely certain that he wanted the crew to know the secret softer side of Sanji. He thought it’d be good for the cook; possibly make him less stressed out. However, if any of them reacted to Sanji the way he had, Zoro knew he was going to get jealous all over again.

If Nami had such a positive reaction, the swordsman just knew he was going to get thrown aside in favour of her. He was doing his best to build a real relationship with Sanji – slowly, carefully, taking it a step at a time – and he didn’t really want any distractions. But, more importantly, he wanted Sanji to feel completely at ease with himself. Right now, he knew Sanji was still on the fence about all of this and that made it harder for the cook to let himself go and enjoy things.

“…I’ll think about it.” Sanji’s voice was low. Whether he was frustrated with him or actually thinking it over, Zoro didn’t know. It made him cautious.

“Alright. I won’t bring it up again.” Stroking a hand through Sanji’s hair, Zoro closed his eyes. A few minutes passed with Sanji curled up against him, the silence both calm and nerve-wracking at the same time. He felt he should say more, ease the pressure he’d likely just put on him. “…I’m more than happy with being the only one who knows.”

“I thought you weren’t going to bring it up again?” Sanji’s tone was teasing, relieving Zoro of his own discomfort in the blink of an eye.

“Right,” Turning immediately, Zoro pushed Sanji back into the sheets, leaning over him with a wide grin. “Wanna go again?”

Sanji grinned right back at him, much to Zoro's surprise.

“Thought you’d never ask.”

\--

Later that night when the crew had returned, Sanji had set up a barbeque outside. After their second round, they had showered and decided to do some fishing, playfully betting on who would catch the bigger fish. It had ended in a draw though; there were surprisingly few fish in the area.

Not that they needed to catch anything anyway – they’d already thoroughly stocked the galley the day before. When Sanji had gone shopping Zoro had quietly followed after him, taking the heavy bags of food without being prompted. The look on Sanji’s face had been between surprise and gratefulness as he’d allowed it, a little red on his cheeks the first time Zoro had grabbed a bag.

The trip had mostly been conducted in silence; neither of them wanting to speak and break the spell. At least, that’s what Zoro had assumed. He was sure some part of the cook had been annoyed by his interference – he could carry the shopping himself, he always did – but Sanji hadn’t said a word. Not a single complaint. That in itself had made the swordsman happy.

However, when they’d passed a clothing stall, he’d noticed a gleam in Sanji’s eye. Had slowed down just in case there was something he’d wanted to buy. Followed his gaze to a black dress and swallowed a lump in his throat as he’d imagined Sanji wearing it.

He wasn’t the only one – Sanji had glanced back to him for a moment and then walked over to look at it more intently, Zoro following at a bit of a distance.

They’d ended up coming back with it, Sanji stuffing it to the bottom of a grocery bag as soon as he’d bought it. He hadn’t worn it yet though. Zoro was feeling impatient to see him in it.

At this point, he knew he was likely going to have to wait a while. Despite all their progress, it was only when they docked that Sanji did things like this. The swordsman knew better than to push by now and resigned himself to just thinking about it instead. When would they see the next island? A few days? A week? A month? He really didn’t want to have to wait that long but he knew the choice was out of his hands.

So he really could not be blamed for being shocked when Sanji walked onto the deck dressed in it. With a coy smile and a hint of nervousness about him that set both Zoro’s heart and loins ablaze. The heat doubled as he realised Sanji had shaved again; the memory of the smoothness of his skin making Zoro’s hands twitch in anticipation.

The rest of the crew were here already, sat in a circle as they tucked into the large plate of meat and drinks that Sanji had prepared earlier. They were so distracted by the food and the chatter that it took them a few moments to realise he was there, let alone take in his appearance.

One by one, they turned to look at him. Zoro wished he could see their expressions; know whether to get ready to defend Sanji or come up with an excuse for the behaviour. It was a bet? He’d been drugged? It was just a prank? Though he’d been so certain it wouldn’t be an issue, he was now having second thoughts. If this went badly it would not end well for him. He now felt more nervous than Sanji looked. 

There was a long silence as Sanji just stood there, his lips twisting up further as his face went red. Was it a good sign or a bad one? Zoro had no clue.

He wanted to protect him so badly in that moment that he had stopped breathing. On edge, waiting for someone to say something. It didn’t even occur to him that he could break the tension himself.

Somehow, this was more stressful than when he’d taken Sanji out in front of those strangers. It wasn’t that strange though: the crew’s opinion mattered. The opinions of strangers, not so much. Worst case scenario then had been Zoro kicking their asses and taking Sanji back to the hotel. Here, it was different. He didn’t even know what he’d do if the crew reacted badly. He’d been far too focused on the thought they’d welcome it to even consider anything else.

“…What? Am I so stunning you’ve all forgotten how to speak?” The cook muttered, his gaze turning to the side. It was meant to be a tease but the strain in his voice dampened it. One of his hands clasped at his other arm, the knuckles on his hand white from how hard he was gripping.

“You look so pretty!” Chopper was the first to comment, waving his arms around in excitement. Everyone’s shoulders seemed to relax then, a few bouts of nervous laughter escaping around Zoro. He’d been so tense that he hadn’t noticed the rest of the crew stiffening. Taking his own shaky breath, the swordsman leaned back onto one of his palms and took a swig of alcohol to try and calm himself.

The panic in his stomach fizzled out as he took in the situation with a clearer head. Of course the crew were going to be freaked out. This had happened out of nowhere, after all!

Cautiously, the chatter started up again. The other Strawhats were murmuring amongst themselves, not sure what else to say. Sanji still looked nervous as he smiled at Chopper gratefully, his fingers relaxing against his arm a little.

Of course, it wasn’t like the crew to remain meek forever.

"Give us a spin then, Sanji-kun!" Nami teased, leaning back with a grin on her face. She seemed to be enjoying this quite a lot, much to Zoro’s discomfort. The feeling that he was going to be replaced resurfaced but he did his best not to act on it. The last thing they needed now was for him to ruin this with his jealousy; especially since he’d been the one to suggest it in the first place.

Overjoyed by her interest, Sanji did a quick twirl to show off the design. The back was very low cut, showing off his toned back and the skirt was short, lifting with the move to expose more of his thighs. For a moment, Zoro wondered if Sanji was wearing anything under it at all; it had shown off so much it had seemed he wasn’t wearing any boxers. The thought both turned him on and frustrated him – there was a limit to what he wanted the others to see!!

He wasn’t the only one who seemed to have that thought though; a few of the other Strawhats coughing nervously as they averted their eyes. The women just clapped.

"W-Wow Sanji, that skirt’s a bit short isn’t it?” Usopp squeaked, his gaze on where the dress met Sanji’s thigh. “You better watch out for a gust of wind, o-or something!”

Sanji laughed brightly at Usopp’s nervous comment.

“Bet you’re just sayin’ that because you wanna see my underwear.” Sanji moved his hand to the front of his skirt, holding it tightly to himself in mock-offense. He waggled a finger at Usopp teasingly.

Everyone laughed then, their nerves being fully shaken out of them. There was nothing more normal than their usual banter, even if Sanji was wearing a dress. It helped make things feel less weird.

Well, not everyone was laughing. Though this was going well, Zoro felt put out. Not only were the crew able to see this Sanji but they got to see the new dress at the same time. Zoro had wanted to see it alone first; feel its material under his palms, trace his fingers over the cook’s exposed back, flip the skirt up just to see Sanji squirm. He couldn’t do any of those things now, just sit and sulk while it taunted him. The idiot could have at least told him what he was planning! 

“Yes, please!” Brook broke the laughter, raising his hand above his head eagerly. “Show us your panties, Sanji-san!”

The small smile on Sanji’s lips changed to a smirk mere seconds later. Turning to face Brook directly, Sanji moved his hand away and kicked a leg high into the air. Having been sitting next to the skeleton, Zoro got a glimpse of it too; his face heating in both embarrassment and a little anger at the move. Though he appreciated the flash of pink and the view of Sanji’s long leg, he was not at all pleased that Sanji had shown Brook.

As his foot landed back on the ground, Sanji did a mock curtsey. The rest of the crew, though bewildered, started clapping and whistling in response.

“There’s your special service.” Sanji sounded amused beyond belief, tilting his head as he grinned once more. “Know you’ve been wanting to see panties for a long time now.”

Zoro turned his head away from Sanji to look at Brook for a moment, fighting his uncomfortable anger in favour of trying to stay calm. Brook was delighted; blood somehow dripping out of his nose and down his chin. It seemed like all his birthdays and Christmases had come at once. Zoro never really understood how his body worked – how could a skeleton cry or poop or whatever without any organs?? – but he had kind of gotten used to it by now.

“Ah! It was too brief! Please do it again!”

Sanji seemed amused still until he glanced at Zoro and his expression faltered. Zoro noticed the stare and looked back over to him, their eyes locking. All of a sudden, Sanji seemed to become withdrawn again.

“Nah, you only get that service once.” Sanji muttered, breaking the eye contact and grabbing onto his drink. Brook began to complain but Zoro wasn’t listening, just reading Sanji’s body language. The self-confidence had seemed to die under his gaze and Zoro didn’t like that. He hated that Sanji had flashed Brook, but the fact that he’d made him uncomfortable was worse.

“Was that my service, too?” Zoro fought down his feelings in annoyance. He wanted to keep the fun mood going, even if he didn’t feel the same way. When Sanji turned to look at him again, he forced a smirk. “Or can I just get one of those later? Either way, the pink looks good on you, ero-cook.”

He’d tried to keep his tone teasing yet in a joking way, so the rest of the crew wouldn’t figure out there was something between them. Though Sanji had come out here and done this, he wasn’t sure if the cook was comfortable with the others knowing this secret yet.

Sanji flushed bright red.

Moments later, Sanji’s drink was back on the ground. He strode over to Zoro, a smile playing on his lips. If they were acting ‘normally’, he was likely to kick him in the face. Zoro braced himself for it. One of Sanji’s hands reached for his head.

Surprised that it was a hand, Zoro let his confusion show on his face. Once again, he had no idea what Sanji was thinking. As the cook’s fingers slipped around his neck and into his hair, Sanji lifted his skirt with his other hand and shoved him face-first into his crotch.

All Zoro could see was pink, the heat from Sanji’s body making his own temperature rise in response. He could feel the cook’s penis pressing into his cheek, rendered speechless by the bold move. He even forgot to try and pull away.

Sensing something was off, Sanji let go of him and stepped back to light a cigarette. He smirked as he exhaled, putting a hand on his hip in triumph. The wolf whistles and cheers seemed even louder.

“That’s what you get, shitty swordsman.”

“Ah, that’s not fair!” Brook whined. “Sanji-san! Do it to me too!”

Zoro had no clue what his own expression was, but he felt like his eyes were bulging in their sockets a little. Another wave of arousal washed over him as he just stared at Sanji. Holy shit. That was the last thing he’d been expecting – even Sanji kissing him would have been less of a shock. 

“Oh wow, he’s blushing.”

Robin’s comment brought him right back to himself in an instant. Agitated, he chugged his drink and got to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Fuckin’ pervert!” He’d meant it to some out as a snarl, but the embarrassment in his voice was clear as day. Unable to take the laughing and his own feelings, Zoro turned on his heel and marched off.

Logically, he knew Sanji was just making fun of him like he always did but this was pushing it a bit too far. In truth, he didn’t really know what he’d expected. Sanji could have laughed at him and said he wouldn’t get anything, but deep down he knew it wasn’t in Sanji’s nature to let a tease like that go unpunished. He always had to go a few steps further than Zoro did.

It was at this point that Zoro realised he’d wandered into one of their supply rooms. He’d been intending to go to the bathroom, but had not been thinking about it enough. Sighing to himself, he moved to sit on one of the crates, looking to the floor as he tried to will his arousal away. He was definitely going to get Sanji back for this later. Stupid sexy bastard and his bizarre exhibitionist teasing…

The door to the supply room opened as Sanji walked in, an eyebrow raised in Zoro’s direction. Why did the cook always manage to find him so easily? Even he hadn’t known he was going to end up in here! Maybe Sanji had actually gone through with his joke about putting a bell on him. He hadn’t heard any jingling though…

As he looked up at his lover in the new black dress all of Zoro’s previous efforts became in vain; his cock just getting stiff all over again at the sight of him. His cheek grew hot where it had rubbed on the panties.

“Hey, what’d you run away for?”

Not one for words right now, Zoro grabbed Sanji by the wrist and shoved his hand under his green samurai coat, letting him feel the bulge in the front of his pants. He watched as Sanji’s cheeks flushed red and then let go of him.

“It’s your fault,” Zoro said gruffly, turning his head to the side so he could attempt to calm himself all over again. “…for doing such an unnecessary thing.” He wanted to tell Sanji to go back and let him calm down for a while, but the cook had other plans.

“Guess there’s no helping it.”

Getting to his knees in front of him, Sanji tugged down the hem of his pants. Zoro’s breath caught in his throat. Oh, fuck. Was he really going to—?

Sanji unknowingly responded to his thought by wrapping his lips around the head of Zoro’s erection, looking right up at him. Zoro’s cock throbbed hard at the sight, his face burning up. He was glad he was already sitting down. If he’d been standing he felt he would have stumbled backwards in surprise.

“W-Whoa! You don’t have to—”

When Sanji started sucking on him, Zoro lost his ability to speak. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He could barely believe what was happening right now. The rest of the crew were not only here but there were just a few doors between them!! What if someone decided to follow after them?? His arousal just grew more at the thought.

Sanji closed his eyes and took him deeper into his mouth. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. The cook drew back a little, only to take him in once more, the flashes of lipstick on both his lips and Zoro’s cock driving the swordsman up the wall. Right now he wasn’t nearly calm enough to deal with this, his body shaking violently as he felt his orgasm approaching.

He lost it the second Sanji glanced back up to him, cumming right there and then into Sanji’s mouth. His eyes squeezed shut tight as his hips jerked forward a little, the cook’s sound of surprise muffled against him. It was embarrassing but the blowjob felt like it had been over almost as soon as it had started.

As he came down from his high, he heard the distinct sound of someone swallowing. His eyes snapped open, just staring down at his lover to see Sanji looking embarrassed with his hand pressed to his mouth. Flabbergasted, he didn’t know what to say, his lips moving though no sound came out.

Sanji pulled back from him and got to his feet again, turning his face away even as he pulled Zoro’s pants back up.

“…That was fast.” Sanji was mumbling, sounding oddly disappointed. Zoro was disappointed in himself too, but it wasn’t like he could have helped it. It had felt like it had come out of nowhere. A hot flush of shame overcame him, causing him to find his voice long enough to yell.

“Shut up!!”

Grabbing Zoro’s wrist, Sanji barely stifled a laugh at the state he was in. It would have pissed Zoro off if he wasn’t still shaken from what that mouth had been doing to him mere moments earlier. As he was tugged back towards the deck, he didn’t resist.

When they returned to the others, Sanji laughed and let go of him with a flourish. Showing off, like he always did.

“Sorry about that! Marimo-kun just got a bit shy.”

He looked to Sanji’s face at the tease, suddenly noticing the smudged lipstick around his mouth. From the look on the rest of the crew’s faces, they’d noticed it too. Their faces turned various shades as they stared at them, ranging from pink to white. He didn’t blame them. There was no lipstick on his face but from Sanji’s earlier action it was obvious that something was going on between them.

Sanji was oblivious as he went back over to the barbeque, putting more meat on it and humming happily. Everyone else’s gazes were on Zoro, who knew he’d flushed red by now.

Raising a finger to his lips, he stared down the rest of his crewmates. The cat was already out of the bag, so there was no need for him to try and hide it any more. At least, not from them. If possible, he wanted to keep their knowledge a secret from Sanji now.

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t say it.” He warned, looking each and every one of them in the eye as he spoke. Glancing back to his lover, he saw he was still preoccupied. “Pretend you didn’t see anything. He’s not ready for this yet.”

He was a little more used to Sanji’s reactions now, but he still couldn’t tell how he would respond to the crew knowing already. Whether he was going to explode in rage or faint in shock, Zoro knew it wasn’t going to be good. He half-expected Sanji would lose his temper and end things, as well as try to kick the shit out of him. Today had been going so nicely that he didn’t want it to be spoiled.

In the event that Sanji wanted to tell them himself, he figured they’d be close enough for it not to ruin what they had.

The men nodded dumbly as they looked between each other. Chopper and Luffy were both blushing a little – though the captain looked downright ecstatic – and the others were more in shock than anything. Except Brook, who looked like all his birthdays and Christmases had come at once for the second time that night. Zoro opted not to comment on it. Usopp was the one he was most worried about, given he was awful at lying. The sharpshooter caught his gaze and just shook his head violently.

“How long has this been going on?” Robin suddenly asked, going against his instructions. There was a smirk on her face as she looked at him, her fingers resting on her cheek. Zoro grit his teeth. She would have to make it difficult for him, wouldn’t she?

“If he decides to tell you, you can ask him then.” Lowering his hand, Zoro grabbed the nearest mug of booze. “M’not risking it.”

Robin's smirk changed into a smile that spread widely across her face.

“Oh? Shall I ask him then?”

“Don’t you fucking dare—” Zoro hissed, cut off when Sanji plopped another plate of meat into the middle of the circle. Looking up at him, Zoro blanched. How much of that had he just heard?

“What’re you so pissy for, you overgrown plant?” Sanji’s eyebrow was raised as he looked back down at him. “I know you're trying to hydrate so you can photosynthesise or whatever, but that’s mine.” Reaching down, Sanji yanked the cup from his hand while booting him in the side at the same time. “Get your own.”

When Zoro opted not to respond to the attack and just sighed, Robin chuckled lightly. The rest of them were eyeing Sanji’s lips; still taking in the smudged lipstick.

“I just thought swordsman-san wanted an encore from before,” She all but purred, knowing that it was just going to make him angrier. Not that she cared, of course. “I was going to ask you to give him my service, since he seemed to like it so much.”

Both Zoro and Sanji turned bright red.

“Pervert.” Sanji muttered, unconsciously bringing his hand to his mouth. Zoro felt his entire body burning up in anger and embarrassment, knowing the action was just going to fuel everyone else on. Before he could say anything, Sanji give him a swift kick to the head that caused him to skid across the grass violently.

Even as he crashed into the far railing, the swordsman recognised that the kick was for show. It didn’t have nearly as much force as he knew the cook could muster and had only sent him flying because he hadn’t anticipated it.

As Sanji sat down in Zoro’s previous spot – knees together for once – Zoro let out a long sigh. It was going to be hell until they revealed their relationship properly. He knew he was in for many jokes and invasive questions. He just hoped Sanji would get to that point soon, so he didn’t have to deal with it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also forgive my shitty edit but: [here's the dress Sanji is wearing in this chapter](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D9HEi57XYAAbG1U.jpg:large).


	5. Trouble Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After much internal debate, Sanji decides it's finally time to tell the crew about him and Zoro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble Exposed
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, crossdressing, fluff, mild drama. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own One Piece, and I never will.
> 
> Chapter rating: PG? PG-13? (non-explicit reference to the last chapter)
> 
> Sanji bullying hours are back in force now, lads. I can’t seem to help myself. He’s so cute I gotta tease him, you know? And by extension this bullies Zoro a bit too, so two birds with one stone! :3b
> 
> And yeah, there’s been another bit of a timeskip here. Like I said, this was _supposed_ to be a oneshot and there are other projects I wanna do, so…
> 
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slaughterchichi) | [Tumblr](http://slaughterchichi.tumblr.com) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/slaughterchichi) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slaughterchichi)

Fussing around the galley after dinner, Sanji looked at the black dress and makeup laid out on the dining table. He was planning to wear it again in front of the others, tell them something else that was important. While normally such things would have made him into an anxious wreck, he was surprisingly calm. He felt like there was nothing really to worry about, though he couldn’t help but feel a slight bit jittery. Whether it was nerves or just adrenaline he wasn’t sure.

Sanji had never been allowed to be himself like this before. Even after what happened with his birth family, he’d attempted to be fully open about what he liked and wanted but had always been met with some ridicule. People had dissed his dream, insulted his cooking. He’d endured all of it and carried on as if it hadn’t happened but it made him cautious at times.

Coming out to the rest of the crew about crossdressing had been freeing, given him a bit more confidence in himself. Sanji felt safe here, able to speak his mind and do what he wanted without other people bullying him for it. Of course Zoro would tease him at times but he’d figured out the reason for it so he didn’t let it bother him anymore. Picking on each other and arguing was fun. Getting into fights moreso; being able to unwind by kicking Zoro in the face was relaxing, even if it meant he ended up with a few injuries himself.

The development in their relationship hadn’t changed any of that. Sanji was grateful for it.

Everything was slow going but Zoro was being patient and not putting pressure on him. He could tell the swordsman wanted to at times but watched as he held himself back over and over again. In some ways they’d have to deal with it eventually but the cook was glad that it was going to be at his own pace and on his own terms. He should probably have felt more guilty for keeping Zoro waiting but he didn’t. Figuring this out was going to take him as long as he needed and no faster.

It wasn’t like he was making a fool of him or anything. Sanji was trying to respond to Zoro as much as he could; allowing him to be more affectionate, doing things he knew Zoro wanted but hadn’t asked for. But it was getting to the point that Sanji didn’t want to hide it. Though he was unsure if their feelings were in the same place or that they wanted the same thing, he wanted to be able to do it more openly.

At times, he’d wanted to tease Zoro gently when the others were around or just generally touch him, yet had to refrain because they didn’t know about their relationship. By the time they were alone again, the moment was gone and it was awkward to bring such things up. Sanji was finding it a bit annoying and he knew Zoro did too. Just looking at him was sometimes enough to know what was on his mind. Now that he understood things, the swordsman was surprisingly easy to read.

At least, when Zoro didn’t have his guard up anyway. And when it was just the two of them, he never did.

Sanji wanted it to be like that all the time. Wanted the freedom to keep exploring his own feelings without worrying about any external influences. He felt like he’d be able to reach his answer faster that way.

That’s why he had made up his mind to say something about it today. To put it out in the open in the hope that things could keep going smoothly. It was going to require some effort but such things always did, and they’d worked out so far. Telling the crew would be just like removing a plaster; painful if dragged out but easy and relatively painless if done without hesitation.

Of course, that didn’t mean Sanji could just do it. He felt the need to make it easier on himself the only way he knew how; donning his attire and allowing his thoughts to just escape him as they came.

Though the honesty had eventually come easily when he’d talked to Zoro, it had become difficult again not too long later. It was disappointing in a way, but he didn’t let himself dwell on it too much. As long as he could be honest at times, it didn’t really matter how he did it. Especially now that he’d cleared up the misunderstanding he’d so foolishly put into place.

As he slipped into the dress, the door to the galley opened behind him and Zoro walked in. Embarrassed to be caught without his makeup even now, Sanji coughed and frowned at him for entering without knocking. The swordsman looked happy to see him, delighted he was in the process of dressing up. Sanji knew he was probably expecting something just from the stupid grin on his face.

“What’s the occasion?” Zoro asked, getting closer to Sanji until they were almost touching. His eyes were doing that sparkle again; the one that Sanji found hard to resist. The cook lowered his own gaze to avoid meeting it head on.

“I’m gonna tell everyone today.” Sanji mumbled, looking firmly at Zoro’s chin. “…About us, I mean.” The happiness and relief was clear on the swordsman’s features as Zoro did a shaky grin.

“Ah, really?”

The happiness was expected but the relief was a bit odd. Why did he feel relieved? Because it meant they could flirt openly? Because he’d wanted them to know for a while?

Sanji shook his head for a moment then nodded instead when he realised how his action would have looked. He’d been putting more effort into not sending mixed signals but it was difficult at times. Sometimes he reacted physically to his own thoughts without considering the other people around him. It was a bad habit he wanted to break.

“Yeah.”

Zoro reached for him but stopped halfway and lowered his arms, obviously not wanting to freak Sanji out by being affectionate all of a sudden. Sanji rolled his eyes even though he appreciated the gesture. Sure, the swordsman was supposed to be holding back a bit but if he was so blatant in his actions then it didn’t really matter. If he was going to do something, he should just do it; Sanji would let him know if he’d overstepped.

The cook walked over to the dining table, sitting down and looking into the mirror to apply his makeup with care. Even if he said so himself, he felt he was getting better at it. The thought made him feel both proud and a little embarrassed. It felt like a silly thing to be happy about.

Zoro was reflected in the mirror behind him as the swordsman leaned in closer, studying his movements with interest. His gaze flicked to Sanji’s mouth as the cook picked up his lipstick, a blush spreading over his face. Sanji looked on in amusement. So easy to understand.

“Can I hug you?”

Sanji paused, lifting his gaze to look into Zoro’s through the glass. A hug, huh? Not a kiss? Maybe not as simple to figure out as he’d thought.

“…As long as you’re not in my way, yes.”

“Thanks.” A moment later, Zoro wrapped his strong arms around Sanji’s shoulders from behind, pressing his forehead into his back. It was a gentle grip even though it was firm, Zoro’s hands clasping at his own arms as the swordsman sighed into his skin.

Sanji blushed as he reached up to apply his lipstick, trying not to focus on just how right the touch felt. How comfortable this all was. In the back of his mind he knew that things had changed, knew that perhaps the answer he was looking for was already obvious. But that was the thing – he wasn’t quite ready to sort that feeling out in his head yet. He wanted more time to feel it out so he could be certain before he said anything. Rushing it wasn’t going to help anyone, especially not if he was wrong. What if it was just part of him wanting to respond to Zoro's feelings? Better not to get his hopes up and hurt him later.

Rubbing his lips together firmly, Sanji leaned back into Zoro’s arms.

“What exactly should we tell them?”

“Whatever you want.” Zoro was unhelpful but his intentions were in the right place. Sanji sighed and looked at him through the mirror again. He seemed so happy it was kind of embarrassing. If the swordsman had a tail, it would have been wagging all over the place. Zoro pulled back from his shoulder and used a hand to tilt Sanji’s chin towards his own face. “I wanna kiss you.”

Sanji raised his eyebrow in amusement, unable to stop a gentle laugh escaping him.

“No, I just finished getting ready. Don’t wanna have to reapply it so soon.” Sanji pressed his finger to Zoro’s lips teasingly. “Make do with that.”

The swordsman pulled away then, a blush over his cheeks as he turned his face away.

“Fine, fine.” It seemed like there was something on Zoro’s mind but since he wasn’t offering it, Sanji wasn’t sure he should ask. Instead, he got to his feet and extended his hand towards him.

“Let’s go then.”

\--

Sanji felt like his nerves were firing on every cylinder as he walked out of the galley hand-in-hand with Zoro. Though he’d made this decision himself, he was nervous of actually going through with it. Revealing yet more of himself to his crewmates. Breaking down his facades in favour of being genuine. Doing it with just Zoro was hard enough at times and that was with the knowledge that the swordsman would take it in his stride and meet him halfway. To be honest with everyone all at once was going to be different and difficult. He still felt he had to prove himself to them, even if he knew better by now.

The important thing right now though, was gathering them together so he could get this over with. Usually they were scattered all over the ship doing their own thing so they might need herding for this. To find everyone, they’d probably have to go visit the workshops, Nami’s cartography room, various parts of the deck… 

Much to Sanji’s surprise they were all hanging out together on the deck just outside the galley instead, talking in hushed tones before they spotted him. Their faces lit up with smiles as he got closer, still tugging Zoro along behind him. They always seemed to smile at him the most when he was wearing a dress and it was as embarrassing as it was flattering. It was like they were trying to encourage him to keep doing it, as though it made them happy too. Sanji couldn’t help but want to respond to the enthusiasm; dressing up more often than before and usually for no reason. They just welcomed him so warmly that it had started to feel a little addictive.

There were a few seconds where no one said anything, then Nami’s gaze fell to Sanji’s hand and her smile grew wider.

“Hey Sanji-kun! Whatcha got there?” Her tone was teasing as she looked back to his face. “Did Zoro get lost in the galley again?”

“Oi!” Zoro growled from behind Sanji but the cook didn’t have time for his directionally-challenged denial right now. He squeezed the swordsman’s hand hard to shut him up, clearing his own throat to draw the attention back to himself.

If anyone was going to say it, it should be Sanji, right? Since it was his choice to do this.

“Ah, no… It’s not that.” Sanji paused as he tried to think of the right words. “Uh, the marimo and I… we…” It was hard to say it. The crew had been so accepting so far but this was just too much. How was he meant to explain it? How much was he supposed to say? Would the knowledge that it was only when he crossdressed be useful or just bizarre to mention? Sanji felt like he was going to combust just trying to think it through. He wished he’d planned it better earlier, but had been too distracted by Zoro acting like a lovesick puppy that was being given a treat.

The other Strawhats looked to their clasped hands then back to each other, obviously nervous. Even if he didn’t outright say it, the action was probably enough for them to figure it out anyway, right? Maybe he didn’t have to put it into words for them to understand.

“Ah, yeah. It’s cool.” Luffy sounded unconcerned, though he was grinning from ear to ear. The rest of the crew stared at their Captain in disbelief, like he’d said something he shouldn’t have. Nami smacked him around the head with a fist, clearly annoyed.

“You’re not supposed to say it like that!” Nami yelled, grabbing onto Luffy’s cheeks and stretching them out. “We talked about this, remember?”

It dawned on Sanji that he’d missed something. He figured it out pretty quickly, mouth dropping for a moment in surprise. Shit. The small glances he’d been getting whenever he interacted with Zoro made so much sense now. How their hushed conversations with the swordsman had abruptly stopped whenever he’d gone over to join in. The crew hadn’t even been that subtle; having done everything short of straight up telling him they knew. How had he not picked up on it?

“You all knew?? Since when!!” Angry and embarrassed, Sanji looked over each and every one of them as he trembled in place. Fuck, this was humiliating! He’d decided to finally tell them; had spent weeks agonising over how they’d react and what kind of impact it was going to have, but it didn’t actually matter. His struggle had been for nothing.

Everyone went bright red at his outburst. They shifted from side to side, not quite meeting his gaze. There was something they knew that he didn’t, and he didn’t like it. When he looked to Zoro, he saw panic on his face. Panic and guilt. It just made him angrier.

“You!! What did you tell them?” Sanji hissed, his hands fisting in Zoro’s clothes near his neck. He shook him with every word, unable to calm the rage in his veins. This shitty fucking swordsman! How could he do something like that? Sanji wanted to tie him up and gut him like a fish in front of everyone. Teach him a lesson for making a fool out of a sea cook.

“In swordsman-san’s defence,” Robin began, resting her chin in her hand like she usually did. Her eyes were sparkling in amusement and her lips were curled into a smile. It seemed oddly familiar… “He didn’t say anything.”

Sanji let go of Zoro, took a moment to let the words sink in. The emphasis on two of them nagged at him. If Zoro hadn’t said something… did that mean Sanji had done something to give it away? What was it? When? What could possibly have happened that—

The familiarity of Robin’s expression clicked into place. It was a hell of a lot similar to when he’d dressed up at the barbeque.

Wait.

The events of the barbeque flashed through his mind as he tried to figure out what exactly it was that had told everyone about them. Sure, he’d buried Zoro’s face in his crotch but that was obviously just an escalation of their normal banter. And yeah, Zoro had run off all of a sudden so he’d gone to find him. But that was because everyone else had been eating and Sanji didn’t want to disturb them by making them deal with his mess. After he’d gotten Zoro to come back—

The realisation smacked Sanji in the face like a ton of bricks.

He hadn’t fixed his fucking lipstick!

He’d been so surprised by Zoro’s quick reaction that he’d completely forgotten about it. Had spent the rest of the night with the others looking like that without a single person saying anything! At the time, he’d just assumed they were surprised he’d actually managed to bring the idiot back with him but…

Sanji felt his entire head burning in shame. Somehow it felt hotter than when he set his own leg on fire. His whole body was shaking violently as he pieced it together.

He’d basically been advertising it the entire night. And not only that there was something between them – the smudges and lack of lipstick on Zoro’s face had probably told them exactly what he’d been doing while he’d been away!!

Everyone’s gazes had returned to him now. He felt like he was under a spotlight, like he was some sort of show for their entertainment. No one seemed to be laughing but it didn’t matter, didn’t take the feeling away.

He wanted to drown himself in the ocean, take Zoro down with him and end his life too.

Humiliated, he spun around and began running off as fast as his legs would take him. Even as he dashed away, he could hear Zoro sigh in frustration.

“Why couldn’t you guys just pretend to be surprised?”


	6. Trouble ...? [END]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How is Sanji going to react now that he is aware the crew knows? Is he going to make good on those unsaid threats? Zoro doesn't know a damn thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble …?
> 
> By The Chichi Slaughter House
> 
> Warnings: ZoroxSanji, crossdressing, sex, confrontation.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own One Piece, and I never will.
> 
> Chapter rating: NC-17
> 
> Last chapter. I don’t have anything to say about this one, except I hope you enjoyed this series!
> 
> I’m…probably taking a mild hiatus after this. Want to refresh myself a little. Might still post on Sundays but not Thursdays for a few weeks, I’m not sure. Just thought to let you know.
> 
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slaughterchichi) | [Tumblr](http://slaughterchichi.tumblr.com) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/slaughterchichi) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slaughterchichi)

After the events on deck, Zoro was feeling frustrated.

Why the others couldn’t have just been more tactful was beyond him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been very clear that it was a big deal or that they’d have to act in a way that wouldn’t give away the fact they already knew. He’d talked about it with them on many occasions over the past few weeks, away from where Sanji could hear them. They’d insisted on discussing it even though Zoro had tried to refuse and he’d given in just so they wouldn’t bring it up with the cook instead. He’d not told them any details but just enough that they understood the situation. Or so he’d thought.

Then again, the swordsman wasn’t entirely sure why he had expected anything different from Luffy in the first place. Being blunt and honest was one of their Captain’s good points. The way he didn’t bullshit around on anything was one of the reasons he was so easy to follow. If he’d been any different, Zoro probably wouldn’t have been able to stick around this long. For better or worse, Luffy was a bit of an idiot. But his heart was always in the right place and Zoro knew it hadn’t been intentional on his part.

In some ways it just made this more frustrating though.

Sanji had run off so quickly that Zoro didn’t feel he should chase after him. He knew well by now that if he did so he’d just make the cook feel even more cornered and likely to lash out. Sometimes it was best to just give him room to breathe and process things on his own, though Zoro had really wanted to follow after him.

Even if he’d gone, Sanji would have just been enraged that he didn’t tell him they’d found out already. That he hadn’t taken the time to pull him aside and fix his makeup when he’d had the chance. But Zoro hadn’t noticed it until it was too late – what could he have done at that point without just straight up confirming it then and there?

Sighing to himself, the swordsman ran his hand through his hair.

What he really wanted right now was some sake but he didn’t dare go near the galley. Not when Sanji had run off like that; he was probably in there right now freaking out. So he had to restrain himself, instead making his way to his training room. If nothing else, the workout would distract him.

Stripping off his coat, Zoro picked up his weights.

\--

By the time he’d finished with his training and grabbed a towel, it was dark out. 

Zoro sat on the bench and sighed as he wiped at his face. It had taken him a while to focus earlier but now that he was sitting still he couldn’t stop worrying about Sanji. The cook had taken the whole thing pretty hard - maybe he should have run after him anyway.

Sure, he’d definitely have gotten kicked in the face multiple times but that seemed better than what was happening now. A sinking feeling held his stomach hostage as he tried to think through what Sanji was going to do. Probably avoid the hell out of him or refuse to let him touch him for god knows how long, even though it wasn’t really Zoro’s fault.

If this had happened a little earlier, he’d have been paranoid that Sanji was going to end it. As things were now, he wasn’t really concerned about that. The past few months had really strengthened their relationship, allowed Zoro to feel less expendable. The amount of time they spent together outside of fucking and the general acceptance of non-sexual intimacy had convinced him that what they had wouldn’t be so easily thrown away. 

Sanji might be capricious and dramatic but given the cook had thought this through and decided to tell the others, he didn’t see this ending in a break up. Just a few awkward weeks where things were strained while Sanji calmed down. He didn’t want that but it was already out of his hands; he’d just have to wait until the dust settled. 

Just as he came to terms with that thought, he spotted blond hair on the ladder that led into his training room.

Blinking to clear his vision, he looked at it again as Sanji slapped a hand on the floor and shakily pulled himself into the room. The cook was wobbling slightly as he got to his feet, his black clothes in a bit of disarray. He was dressed in a suit again but his tie was missing and his shirt was haphazardly buttoned, each button off by at least one. There was a bent cigarette in Sanji’s mouth, unlit and in danger of slipping out of his lips at any second. From the flush on his cheeks and the haze in his eye, it seemed like something was wrong.

It looked like he’d gotten dressed in the dark, though Zoro doubted that was the cause. He’d known Sanji long enough that he was certain the cook could dress perfectly even if blindfolded; he had never seen him like this before, not even when they’d had to deal with sudden Marine attacks in the middle of the night. Sanji took too much pride in his appearance for this to be anything but abnormal.

As the cook looked over at him, a sloppy yet nervous smile spread over Sanji’s face, much like the one he’d shown him in the hotel all that time ago. Zoro swallowed, his own nerves taking over even as he sat up straighter, trying to figure out what was going on.

“I found ya!” Sanji slurred as he started walking over, his hands slipping into his pockets briefly before he suddenly reached forward for him. Zoro felt his own face flush, shifting the towel onto the bench next to him as Sanji got closer. The cook stumbled then, catching himself with a hand onto the seat as he laughed giddily at his own mistake. Unsure of the right thing to do, Zoro did nothing other than watch him, at a loss even as Sanji lifted his head and smiled at him again. The cigarette had slipped from his mouth now, had probably fallen to the floor at their feet. “Ya coulda caught me, shitty bastar’.”

The cook’s other hand rested on Zoro’s knee as he straightened himself, fingertips beginning to caress him through his trousers slowly. Sanji seemed more stable now but he didn’t stop the touch, a soft sigh escaping him as he gazed at Zoro with an all too familiar look on his face. 

Recognising it, the swordsman’s hands twitched at his sides.

Oh, God. This was it.

Sanji had finally come to him without a dress. Without his makeup. Sure, he looked like he’d been drinking but Zoro could tell from a glance that the cook wasn’t truly drunk. If anything, he was just quite tipsy. For a minute, Zoro wondered if it was a case of needing liquid courage or if Sanji had just gotten in the mood from drinking. He didn’t really mind either way but knew there would be a distinction for Sanji. Whether he would later feel pleased with himself or uncomfortable.

Maybe the cook was just stressed out from what had happened earlier and was seeking comfort from him. But if that was the case, then why had he gotten changed? It was difficult to know what was going on in his head at the best of times, let alone right now.

He didn’t want to do something that Sanji would regret. At the same time he really wanted to just go ahead and damn the consequences.

As the cook’s fingers trailed up his leg meaningfully, Zoro’s breath caught in his throat.

Was he going to be able to feel all of his skin this time? Hear the moans in the lower tone Sanji normally used? His cock jumped at the thought.

Without any further hesitation the swordsman leaned up and kissed Sanji hard on the mouth. His arms moved to wrap Sanji’s waist and tug him onto his lap. The cook didn’t resist him at all, parting his lips and grabbing at his forearms tightly as he sat right up against him.

It was the first time Sanji had allowed him to do this since they’d talked things through and Zoro was almost shaking in excitement. He’d thought about it so many times that it didn’t even seem real.

He could taste wine on Sanji’s tongue, smell it on his skin. It wasn’t bad though; Sanji usually kept the more expensive wines for himself and the women so it was rare that Zoro even got a whiff of them. He’d have preferred Sanji to be more sober but had to admit the flavour was better than the taste of cigarettes he usually got. Not that he hadn’t gotten used to it by now, but that didn’t mean he liked it.

Sanji pulled back for a second to breathe, the look of desire on his face sending heat straight to Zoro’s gut. Ah, fuck. He knew he should probably check that this was what Sanji really wanted, that this was going to be alright but he felt if he asked he’d break the spell. What if it made Sanji feel uncomfortable or unwanted? What if the cook thought that it wouldn’t be alright for Zoro if he wasn’t dressed up or something? Sanji had a tendency to spiral and overthink things at the drop of a hat. Zoro didn’t want another misunderstanding like that.

Shifting his hands to grab at Sanji’s ass, Zoro rolled his hips up against him so Sanji could feel how hard he was. How excited this had made him. He leaned forward to kiss at the part of Sanji’s chest that wasn’t covered by his shirt, careful not to leave any marks. The cook sighed above him and threaded a hand into his hair as he trembled and pushed into all of his touches. It made him want to growl.

“…You sure?” Zoro had to ask even if he didn’t want to. He brushed his lips up to Sanji’s collarbone, looking up at him even as he flicked his tongue out and slid it up the cook’s neck. “I really, really want you right now.” He punctuated the statement with a sharper thrust upwards, his hands gripping onto Sanji’s butt even tighter. Sanji rocked in his lap from the motion, his hazy eye almost closing as he let out a moan.

“Mhm!” The cook leaned down and kissed at his forehead as he pushed his own hips back down. “Yeah, I wanna.”

Not needing any more convincing, Zoro got to his feet and wrapped one of his arms under Sanji’s body to hold him close. Single-mindedly he walked over to the lockers, kissing more firmly on Sanji’s chest as he opened a locker with his other hand. He’d stored some things in here just in case the cook had wanted to do it in here at some point, thinking it better to be prepared.

Yanking a rolled up blanket out of the locker, he flung it onto the metal floor in a hurry. This room had not been designed for anything other than for training; every surface was hard and uncomfortable, unsuitable for what he wanted to do right now. Franky hadn’t taken things like this into consideration when he’d built the Sunny, but Zoro wasn’t going to let it stop him.

He grabbed a tube of lubricant from the locker as well before he lowered Sanji to the thick duvet, climbing on top of him and kissing him on the lips eagerly. Sanji’s legs wound around his waist as the cook kissed him back, matching his enthusiasm and making him want to groan.

Right now Zoro was anything but calm but he had to try and reign it in. He was so riled up by his own imagination that he was scared he was going to lose control and orgasm too early again. After the unexpected blowjob, he’d felt ashamed for a long time and had been putting more effort into holding back longer. But just like that time, this had kind of come out of nowhere and he didn’t trust himself not do something embarrassing like cum in his pants the second he got Sanji’s shirt off.

Pushing the worrying thought aside, Zoro let go of the lube and shifted his hands to begin undoing Sanji’s shirt as he kissed him. Sanji’s own hands pushed under his coat and stroked over his shoulders, taking the coat with them and tangling it up in Zoro’s elbows. The swordsman pulled back to shrug the sleeves off before dipping down again and kissing at Sanji’s neck. Sanji sighed under him, fingertips tracing his muscles and making Zoro shiver.

It wasn’t often that Sanji touched him back during sex. Though to be fair, Zoro didn’t usually give him a chance to; too obsessed with getting to touch him and bury himself inside to let Sanji have the opportunity. The swordsman closed his eyes and just allowed the touches, taking deep breaths to try and keep himself calm. Sanji’s hands were slightly cold and they felt good on his overheated skin.

As Sanji trailed down his chest, Zoro swallowed roughly and opened his eyes again. The cook was looking at him, radiating both arousal and need as he tugged on his haramaki. Zoro let out a shaky breath and straightened up, yanking it off his body while Sanji began undoing the knot in his sash. Unable to take more of it just yet, Zoro grabbed both of Sanji’s hands and pinned them above his head, capturing his lips in yet another kiss.

He was far too excited for his own good, needed some time to calm down. Kissing Sanji helped a little, though not all that much. When he pulled back, Sanji was shaking, his eyes closed.

Zoro let go of Sanji’s wrists and pushed his shirt open, trying to pull it off without moving him. Sanji laughed in the back of his throat and sat up to help him, slinking back against the blanket when his chest was bared fully. Zoro threw the shirt and jacket aside and began undoing Sanji’s pants in a hurry. He wanted to see all of him right now, all at once.

Sanji lifted his hips when Zoro tugged the trousers down, just lying flat on the floor and looking up at him quietly when he’d finished. Zoro’s gaze roamed over every inch of his bare skin; from his long legs up over his hips and finally to his face. The swordsman could feel his own face burning, a little overwhelmed by the sight as his own cock throbbed hard.

“Fuck.” Zoro couldn’t help but curse in appreciation. Sanji smirked up at him, still flushed from the alcohol he’d been drinking.

“…You’re taking your time, huh?” Sanji moved his legs to brush them up Zoro’s sides. “Normally we’d be doing that already by now.” Zoro couldn’t tell if he was disappointed, impatient or just amused. “It’ll be morning before you get anywhere like this.”

Trying not to let the words embarrass him, Zoro half-nodded and yanked his sash off, letting his coat fall into a heap on the back of his legs. Sanji seemed to want him to hurry up even if he wasn’t saying it bluntly. He didn’t want to make him wait, but he also didn’t want to rush through it. The conflicting feelings made him hesitate but he knew the cook was right. If he took too long then it would be as frustrating to Sanji as it would be to himself if he stream rolled ahead. What he needed was a balanced medium they could both enjoy.

“Alright, sorry.” Not sure what to do next, Zoro glanced over Sanji’s body again. He wanted to touch and taste all of it, but between Sanji’s tease and his own cock throbbing more insistently he knew he needed to speed things along. The cook’s erection was also straining painfully between his legs, causing Zoro to feel a little guilty. He’d have to skip a couple of steps.

Pushing Sanji’s knees to his chest, Zoro dipped his head low and licked over Sanji’s entrance with the flat of his tongue. There was a startled whine and a wriggle before Sanji’s hand fisted in his hair and yanked.

“No!”

Zoro paused in place, withdrew his tongue back into his mouth. No? Sanji usually loved it when he did this, why was he refusing it now? He looked to Sanji’s face for an explanation, taking in the flushed look on his face and noting his nervousness. He turned his head to kiss at his thigh instead.

“…Can I use my fingers then?”

Sanji shivered as he nodded briefly, the cook closing his eyes. Zoro didn’t really understand but he wasn’t going to do it if Sanji didn’t want him to. He wasn’t refusing any attention there, just his tongue. Maybe it made him feel like he was being treated like a woman?

Zoro let a hand slip from Sanji’s leg as he grabbed the lube from beside them. He flipped the cap open and let go of the other leg, squirting the cool fluid onto his fingers. He’d initially been concerned that Sanji didn’t want to fuck, wanted to just use their hands and mouths. That wasn’t what he wanted but he’d have kept it to that. Whatever would keep this going would have been fine for him.

He leaned up to kiss at Sanji’s chest again as the lubricant warmed in his hand. He couldn’t keep himself from touching Sanji’s skin; just wanting to do it for as long as he could, excited by every reaction he got. Getting to see and touch all of Sanji like this made him feel like he was dreaming. He’d certainly done that enough times that if this turned out to be another dream he wouldn’t have been all that surprised. Just intensely disappointed and impatient when he woke up.

As soon as he felt it was warm enough, Zoro pressed his fingers to Sanji’s skin. Sanji sighed under him, half-covering his face with his hand. Even as he rubbed to coax him to relax, Zoro kept kissing across Sanji’s chest tenderly. He wanted to enjoy as much of the cook’s skin as he could get whilst it was available to him. Anything else would seem like a waste.

His lips grazed one of Sanji’s nipples, drawing a gasp. Eagerly he slid his tongue over it, watching Sanji wriggle and pull his hand away from his face. Before he could say a word, Zoro drew it into his mouth and sucked on it hard as he pressed a finger slowly into Sanji. The cook squeezed on his fingertip and pushed at his head with a hand.

“That feels weird… stop it…”

Zoro paused and lifted his head, looking at Sanji’s face.

“Weird in a bad way?”

“I don’t know.”

Respecting the cook’s wishes, Zoro began to move his finger inside Sanji instead, watching his face intently. Sanji gasped and flushed even redder but didn’t break his gaze. The swordsman felt drunk just seeing his expression, pulling his finger back and adding another as his breath caught in his throat. Sanji bit his lip as he pushed his hips back onto Zoro’s hand, a wave of heat rushing through Zoro that made him lean up further. He kissed at Sanji’s lips as he thrust his hand hard, not hesitating to push his tongue in Sanji’s mouth when he gasped again.

Though he wanted to tease Sanji’s chest more, there were other things he could be doing. He calmed himself with that thought even as he started moving his hand more; stretching Sanji as carefully as he could. He was eager to get inside him but he knew he’d regret it if he rushed through it like usual. Zoro pressed their chests together firmly and groaned at the feeling of Sanji’s skin on his own.

The cook’s eyes closed as he turned his head to the side and broke off the kiss, panting heavily. Zoro was breathing harshly as well, not just from the kiss but from the excitement that was threatening to overwhelm him at any moment. He wasn’t going to give in to it this time though.

“It’s fine, come on…” Sanji was breathless as he said it, giving Zoro’s fingers another squeeze. Zoro’s cock throbbed at the tone of voice but he shook his head and kept the motion up, curling his fingers upwards to tease at Sanji’s prostate. “Ah!” Sanji was shuddering from head to toe under him, unable to stop himself making noises even as he tried to cover his mouth yet again. It was so reminiscent of the first time they’d done this that Zoro couldn’t help a grin.

“Not yet.” He dipped his head and kissed over Sanji’s collarbone. “I wanna see more of you like this.” Shifting his position, Zoro reached down with his other hand and began stroking Sanji’s cock slowly, his grin getting wider as Sanji squeezed on his fingers from surprise.

Whimpering, Sanji opened his eyes again to shoot a glare in his direction. His ears were burning red by now, clearly flustered by everything that was happening.

“Stop… staring so much!”

“I can’t help it.” Zoro was honest, letting the words escape him without shame. This meant so much to him and he wanted Sanji to understand that, even if it meant putting himself out there and being vulnerable. He let his gaze drop from Sanji’s face to hopefully make him feel more comfortable, instead focusing on the way his chest was heaving. “I feel like I’ve wanted this forever.”

For a few moments there was silence, no noises other than the ones caused by Zoro’s hands feeling up Sanji from the inside and out at the same time.

“You’re…an idiot.” Sanji eventually said, his voice shaking. From the sound of it and his expression it was clear to Zoro that the cook was getting close. He didn’t know whether he wanted to make him cum or tease him longer.

“Yeah.” Tilting his head, Zoro whispered into Sanji’s ear. “Do you want to let it out? Or should I give you something bigger?” He thrust his fingers up particularly hard and gave them a twist as his lips brushed the flushed skin. 

Sanji turned bright red, his eye opening widely as his mouth moved but no words came out. Zoro resisted the urge to chuckle. Sanji’s reactions were just so cute. He couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to get to see them like this. He knew it was because he had been overly cautious about seeing Sanji’s face but he felt he’d been missing out. Now was the perfect time to make up for it.

A few moments later, Sanji grabbed at his wrist to stop him, gaze downcast. His legs shifted to wind around Zoro’s hips, pushing down on the waist of his pants.

“…You know what I want,” Sanji took a breath as he lifted his head again, looking Zoro in the eye. “So give it to me already.” He was firm in his demand, squeezing Zoro’s fingers so tightly that he couldn’t move them.

Without any further prompting, Zoro took his hands off of Sanji, hastily shoving his own pants down. The cook made an appreciative noise and lifted his legs to wrap them around his waist. Even as he positioned himself against Sanji, Zoro was hesitant. What if he barely lasted? He felt he’d never live it down.

Impatient by now, Sanji sighed in frustration and used his legs to pull him in closer. The tip of his cock sunk into him forcefully from the quick movement, causing both of them to groan loudly. Sanji sounded pleased but Zoro could hear his own surprise, flushing bright red in embarrassment. However Sanji wasn’t paying attention to that at all; just shoving his hips at him and tightening his legs more to get him deeper.

The eagerness just made Zoro more riled up, slamming a hand firmly onto the blanket to try and keep himself steady.

“S-Stay still for a minute.” Zoro hated how weak he sounded, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes in annoyance. He heard Sanji huff under him, unsure whether he was agitated or trying not to laugh. He shrugged it off and used his other hand to tilt Sanji’s hips up closer to him, taking a deep breath to calm himself again.

Cautiously he took a few small thrusts forward. Somehow not seeing anything just made it worse; the feeling of Sanji’s legs clinging to him and the murmurs he could hear causing his imagination to go haywire. He opened his eyes, panting as he looked back at Sanji, who was watching him intently in return. He would have gone redder if it was possible.

“You’re driving me crazy here.” Sanji grumbled, reaching to wrap his arms around Zoro’s neck and curling up closer to him. His breath was hot on the swordsman’s ear as he licked at his piercings. “Fuck me already, Zoro.”

His name on Sanji’s lips caused Zoro to lose his control; gripping hard on his hip as he jerked his own hips forward into him roughly, unable to stop himself from doing it again and again. Sanji cried out into his ear and dug his fingers into Zoro’s neck, pushing back against him with every move.

This time felt completely different from every one that had come before it; the amount of Sanji he could feel against him, the clinging, the eager and powerful thrusts back toward him… Zoro hadn’t expected it to be as intense as this. It felt so damn good that he couldn’t hold back, didn’t really want to. Sanji’s voice was right in his ear, the cook’s nails digging painfully into his skin. On some level he was grateful Sanji was so close to him because at least he couldn’t see his face.

A particularly hard shove of Sanji’s ass against him made him groan, almost orgasming on the spot. Sanji pulled back from his ear to look him in the eye, a knowing look on his face even as he kept pushing back harder. His lover seemed smug, seemed like he wanted to him to lose it early. Zoro growled low in his throat, a little frustrated by it.

The cook did it again, a shaky breath slipping out of him as Zoro just moved even harder into him in response. The swordsman felt like he was going to burst, calling out in agitation:

“Fuck, _Sanji_ —”

The expression was wiped clean off Sanji’s face as he started trembling violently in Zoro’s arms, replaced with surprise and a flush of pleasure. He was squeezing on Zoro so tightly that it was hard for the swordsman to move, Zoro biting his own lip as he watched him and strained to keep going. Kept pushing up against Sanji’s prostate mercilessly all the while staring into Sanji’s eye.

When Sanji’s gaze clouded over and his eyes slammed shut, Zoro realised that Sanji was cumming. Breathless, he looked lower, watching as Sanji ejaculated over both of their stomachs, his muscles twitching in a frenzy. He grit his teeth as he stared back to Sanji’s face; the expression making it impossible for him to hold on any longer.

“I love you!” Zoro groaned as he came, shuddering all over. He hadn’t meant to say it, hadn’t even realised the words had left his lips. Everything had just overwhelmed him, made him unable to restrain himself from voicing the thought he’d been holding in all this time.

When he came back to his senses, all he heard was the undeniable sound of someone trying not to laugh. Sanji was shaking, covering his mouth with a hand though it was futile.

Zoro wanted to yell, ask what was so fucking funny. But it wasn’t a cruel laugh; just a nervous one. One that said he’d probably fucked up. He felt panic rising in the pit of his stomach.

Though it hadn’t been intentional, he was glad that he’d at least said it while Sanji was himself. Not dressed up. It left little room for misunderstandings.

“Well…” Sanji calmed enough to look him in the eye, though his mouth was still twitching. “You certainly picked a damn fine time to say that, huh?” The cook didn’t seem surprised at all. That made Zoro confused.

“…I can’t disagree, but…” He felt his face burning red, fighting his instinct to tell Sanji he hadn’t meant it. He wasn’t sure whether he should own it or play it off. Maybe it was still too early to say something like that; Sanji had only just let him do this while he wasn’t in a dress. But they’d been doing this for months, so if not now then when was it going to be okay? Sometimes it felt like there would never be a good time. Zoro shook his head to clear his thoughts a little but couldn’t shake the lack of surprise from his mind. “You’re acting like you already knew!”

Sanji looked away from him, biting his bottom lip.

“Yeah… I’d figured it out.”

“Since when?!” Zoro didn’t think he was that easy to read. Normally he could suppress his desires and feelings without anyone being the wiser. What had he done for Sanji to know about it? Wracking his brain, Zoro swallowed. “…Why didn’t you say anything?”

Underneath him, Sanji let out a long shaky sigh. His hands pushed at Zoro’s chest, trying to get him to move. Zoro didn’t want to. Not until he’d gotten his answer. Part of him was panicked that Sanji would just run away if he let go of him right now. That he’d avoid him for real this time, never let this happen again. The crew already knowing about them was one thing but Zoro’s feelings were a different story. At least regarding the crew, Sanji had decided it for himself. This on the other hand…

“What was I supposed to say?” Sanji asked, avoiding the first question entirely. His hands were pressed to Zoro’s chest but had stopped trying to push him back. Probably had realised it was pointless right now. “You’d have been fine if I just told you that I knew?” Sanji turned to look at him then, his gaze piercing. “Or would you have wanted something more from me?”

Zoro swallowed the lump in his throat. Yeah, Sanji had a point; even now he was hoping to get some sort of response from him. ‘I love you too’ was likely not on the cards, but he’d settle for something like ‘I like you’ or even ‘I don’t hate you’. Feeling uncomfortable, the swordsman realised his hopes had dropped considerably.

“…You’re right.” Admitting it aloud was hard. He wanted to be mad at Sanji for not saying something, but his reason made a lot of sense. They were still in the process of figuring things out, had made this much progress! Zoro cursed himself for blurting out his feelings. He didn’t want to fuck this up again. “…But it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I understand.”

Zoro attempted a smile but he was sure his lips were betraying him.

Sanji’s legs squeezed tight around his waist and the cook took his moment of weakness to roll them over. Zoro’s arms ended up splayed over the floor while Sanji sat up straight on top of him. His dick was still half-inside him, beginning to get stiff all over again even though this wasn’t the best time.

“Are you an idiot?” Sanji scoffed though his face started going red. Sanji laid a hand forward on Zoro’s stomach as the other reached behind and grabbed one of his thighs. Zoro knew he was stupid. He didn’t need it pointing out. “Don’t make that kind of face. I can tell it’s fake.”

The swordsman didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know what to say.

Sanji sitting on top of him like that was exciting him but with the uncomfortable conversation and tight feeling in his chest he couldn’t focus on anything. The cook was definitely sober now; evident by the way he was looking at him as though he also didn’t know what to do.

Zoro was overwhelmed by self-hatred. He threw an arm over his face and sighed into his own skin. This should’ve been a happy occasion; something to celebrate. He’d gone and ruined it with stupid words that deep down he’d known Sanji wouldn’t like. Even when he was trying to be careful he managed to screw things up.

“Sorry.”

Sanji sighed above him, pushed his hips down so Zoro sank fully inside. The swordsman grit his teeth to stop himself from making a stupid noise out of surprise.

“You know…” Zoro peered out from under his forearm as Sanji spoke, taking in the quiet tone and the flushed look on the cook’s face. Sanji’s eyes were closed and his head was bowed forward. He seemed nervous and self-conscious. “I wouldn’t do this if it didn’t mean something.”

It took Zoro a few moments to realise the implication of the words.

This meant something. Sanji not wearing his dress was important.

Zoro swallowed. He wanted to ask him to clarify but he could tell from the way Sanji was saying it that he was unlikely to do so. Did that mean it was alright for him to interpret it as he chose? Or should he continue to be cautious and not get ahead of himself?

“Okay.” Zoro carefully reached over and rested his hands on Sanji’s hips. They were hot to the touch and the cook shivered. He shouldn’t push. He had definitely learned his lesson from last time. Looking down, he noticed that Sanji had also grown stiff. His hands gripped Sanji more firmly as he shifted his own hips up a little. “…Can we do it like this?”

The topic change caused Sanji to laugh in embarrassment and relief. His eyes opened as a smirk spread across his lips.

“…Sure.” Sanji leaned back once more, his eyes gleaming. “I’ll give you the ride of your life.”

Dodging the subject with sex was probably not the right way to go about it but as Sanji began moving on top of him, all of Zoro’s thoughts melted away.

\--

When Sanji slumped forward onto his chest, they were both exhausted. Zoro had felt like he couldn’t breathe the entire time, being held down with a hand and just being forced to watch as Sanji had fucked himself on his length. Any attempt to touch had been swatted away, driving Zoro mad with yearning even as he trailed his eyes over Sanji’s body with each move.

Zoro reached up to wrap his arms around him but Sanji shrugged them off, raising his hips and letting him slip out slowly.

“Ugh, I feel sore.” Sanji flopped onto the duvet next to him, facing away. He was oddly distant but at this point it was better not to try to talk about it. Zoro figured it was just more of the same; embarrassment and not knowing what to do with himself after all that. Though he wanted to hold onto him and bury his face in that blond hair he held himself back, just turning onto his side and propping himself up on one of his elbows.

Sanji dozed off quickly but Zoro found himself unable to sleep. His eye lingered on Sanji’s back, taking in every inch of his skin and writing it to memory. Just in case he wouldn’t get to see it again for a while. Just because he didn’t want to forget it.

The lack of affection was surprising but he supposed it didn’t matter. He felt so lucky just to have had this; Sanji allowing his touches without a veil between them, responding to them and not running from his words. The entire thing had been such a leap forward that even without cuddling he could feel content, feel happy. It could have gone so much worse. 

The cook shifted in his sleep, letting out a small noise as he dreamed. Zoro found himself smiling, wondering what his lover was dreaming about. Was he dreaming of cooking? Something stupid with the crew? Or was it something else, something that Zoro could only hope for?

As Sanji rolled over towards him, the hair covering the right side of his face shifted with the movement, revealing eyeshadow on his usually-covered eye. Zoro stared at it for a few seconds in disbelief before holding back a laugh.

Ah, whatever. This was close enough.


End file.
